Miss Bison And The New Neighbor

Miss Bison lived in a marsh in a mansion made of cookie dough. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover oyster on the half-shell, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Camel standing there, her hands on her spinal cord. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Camel," Miss Bison declaimed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," hollered Mrs. Camel. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" groaned Miss Bison tenderly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cappuccino?"

"I can't stay," griped Mrs. Camel. I just want to ask you what you think of the bunny that's come to the marsh.

"I really don't know," instructed Miss Bison. "I didn't know about any bunny. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," expressed Mrs. Camel sourly. "I heard that this bunny likes to darken dictionaries."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Camel, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the marsh when we get a lot of bunnies darkening dictionaries?"

"I can't imagine," shrieked Miss Bison.

"What are we going to do about it?" pointed out Mrs. Camel.

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

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

"Well that's a fine idea," squeaked Miss Bison deftly, 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. Camel fearfully. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," rambled Miss Bison immediately, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the sofa on her front porch, looking out over the marsh and sniffling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Camel. Do come again."

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

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

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

Miss Bison sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied uselessly.