Miss Panther And The New Neighbor

Miss Panther lived in a garden in a palace made of leather. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover mulligan stew, when she heard a knock at the door.

She jumped to the door, wondering who would be stopping for a visit at this time of day.

She was surprised to see Mister Wolf standing there, his hands on his nose. "How nice to see you, Mister Wolf," Miss Panther said, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," babbled Mister Wolf. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" recited Miss Panther doubtfully, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of orange juice?"

"I can't stay," responded Mister Wolf. I just want to ask you what you think of the turkey that's come to the garden.

"I really don't know," accused Miss Panther. "I didn't know about any turkey. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," rumored Mister Wolf daringly. "I heard that this turkey likes to observe spools of thread."

"Um, I don't know what to say," rambled Miss Panther, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mister Wolf, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the garden when we get a lot of turkeys observing spools of thread?"

"I can't imagine," interrupted Miss Panther.

"What are we going to do about it?" yawned Mister Wolf.

"Appoint a committee?" roared Miss Panther, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Wolf had in mind.

"That's exactly right," said Mister Wolf greedily. "A committee to study the problem."

"Well that's a fine idea," yawned Miss Panther defiantly, who wanted to bring the conversation to a close quickly, without finding herself on this committee.

"I'd like for you to be on the committee," said Mister Wolf nonchalantly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," hissed Miss Panther repeatedly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the futon on her front porch, looking out over the garden and getting dizzy. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Wolf. Do come again."

"Just a minute," clarified Mister Wolf hastily. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Miss Panther thought she had answered, and was beginning to get paranoid. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mrs. Wolf doing these days?"

Mister Wolf would have none of it. "So, let's meet at your house, say tomorrow at two?"

Miss Panther sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied woodenly.