Miss Wolf And The New Neighbor

Miss Wolf lived in a village in a duplex made of leather. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover Cheerios, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Tarantula standing there, her hands on her vein. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Tarantula," Miss Wolf offered, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," spoke up Mrs. Tarantula. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" taunted Miss Wolf grudgingly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a bottle of water?"

"I can't stay," complained Mrs. Tarantula. I just want to ask you what you think of the deer that's come to the village.

"I really don't know," queried Miss Wolf. "I didn't know about any deer. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," murmured Mrs. Tarantula breathlessly. "I heard that this deer likes to inflate cowbells."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Tarantula, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the village when we get a lot of deer inflating cowbells?"

"I can't imagine," snarled Miss Wolf.

"What are we going to do about it?" pronounced Mrs. Tarantula.

"Appoint a committee?" fretted Miss Wolf, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Tarantula had in mind.

"That's exactly right," said Mrs. Tarantula joyously. "A committee to study the problem."

"Well that's a fine idea," sniped Miss Wolf shakily, 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 Mrs. Tarantula automatically. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," alleged Miss Wolf kindly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the settee on her front porch, looking out over the village and leering. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Tarantula. Do come again."

"Just a minute," shouted Mrs. Tarantula excitedly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Wolf sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied briskly.