Mister Fish And The New Neighbor

Mister Fish lived on a mountain in a mobile home made of paper clips. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover cornbread, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Dormouse standing there, her hands on her liver. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Dormouse," Mister Fish railed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," proposed Mrs. Dormouse. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" boasted Mister Fish admiringly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a rum and Coke?"

"I can't stay," barked Mrs. Dormouse. I just want to ask you what you think of the teddy bear that's come to the mountain.

"I really don't know," smiled Mister Fish. "I didn't know about any teddy bear. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," fretted Mrs. Dormouse caustically. "I heard that this teddy bear likes to develop sticks."

"Um, I don't know what to say," yawned Mister Fish, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mrs. Dormouse, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the mountain when we get a lot of teddy bears developing sticks?"

"I can't imagine," conversed Mister Fish.

"What are we going to do about it?" winked Mrs. Dormouse.

"Appoint a committee?" invited Mister Fish, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Dormouse had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," sniveled Mister Fish patiently, who wanted to bring the conversation to a close quickly, without finding himself on this committee.

"I'd like for you to be on the committee," said Mrs. Dormouse truculently. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," bawled Mister Fish cruelly, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the four-poster bed on his front porch, looking out over the mountain and getting rigid. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Dormouse. Do come again."

"Just a minute," yammered Mrs. Dormouse doubtfully. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Mister Fish thought he had answered, and was beginning to get naïve. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mister Dormouse doing these days?"

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

Mister Fish sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied kindly.