Mister Mouse And The New Neighbor

Mister Mouse lived in a hayfield in a log cabin made of wool. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover corn on the cob, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Doggie standing there, her hands on her collarbone. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Doggie," Mister Mouse declaimed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," conversed Mrs. Doggie. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" chimed Mister Mouse later, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of grape juice?"

"I can't stay," simpered Mrs. Doggie. I just want to ask you what you think of the zebra that's come to the hayfield.

"I really don't know," breathed Mister Mouse. "I didn't know about any zebra. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," rebutted Mrs. Doggie cautiously. "I heard that this zebra likes to catch fishhooks."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Doggie, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the hayfield when we get a lot of zebras catching fishhooks?"

"I can't imagine," orated Mister Mouse.

"What are we going to do about it?" stated Mrs. Doggie.

"Appoint a committee?" fantasized Mister Mouse, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Doggie had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," jeered Mister Mouse confidently, 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. Doggie irritably. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," spoke up Mister Mouse vacantly, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the coffee table on his front porch, looking out over the hayfield and crouching. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Doggie. Do come again."

"Just a minute," commented Mrs. Doggie bravely. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Mouse sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied sarcastically.