Mister Beetle And The New Neighbor

Mister Beetle lived at a dump in a palace made of fiber. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover tortillas, 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. Pigeon standing there, her hands on her heart. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Pigeon," Mister Beetle squeaked, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," provoked Mrs. Pigeon. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" quoted Mister Beetle needlessly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a bottle of Gatorade?"

"I can't stay," admitted Mrs. Pigeon. I just want to ask you what you think of the troll that's come to the dump.

"I really don't know," hissed Mister Beetle. "I didn't know about any troll. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," observed Mrs. Pigeon unabashedly. "I heard that this troll likes to fabricate sea shells."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Pigeon, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the dump when we get a lot of trolls fabricating sea shells?"

"I can't imagine," lectured Mister Beetle.

"What are we going to do about it?" declared Mrs. Pigeon.

"Appoint a committee?" rationalized Mister Beetle, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Pigeon had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," argued Mister Beetle despondently, 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. Pigeon humbly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," gasped Mister Beetle miserably, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the china hutch on his front porch, looking out over the dump and nodding off. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Pigeon. Do come again."

"Just a minute," brought up Mrs. Pigeon reluctantly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Beetle sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied daringly.