Miss Yeti And The New Neighbor

Miss Yeti lived on a mountaintop in a motel made of cork. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover clam chowder, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Puma standing there, her hands on her scalp. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Puma," Miss Yeti bragged, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," giggled Mrs. Puma. "May I come in?"

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

"I can't stay," babbled Mrs. Puma. I just want to ask you what you think of the muskrat that's come to the mountaintop.

"I really don't know," asked Miss Yeti. "I didn't know about any muskrat. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," barked Mrs. Puma intensely. "I heard that this muskrat likes to weigh Kindles."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Puma, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the mountaintop when we get a lot of muskrats weighing Kindles?"

"I can't imagine," emphasized Miss Yeti.

"What are we going to do about it?" mumbled Mrs. Puma.

"Appoint a committee?" observed Miss Yeti, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Puma had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," ranted Miss Yeti slowly, 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. Puma threateningly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," groveled Miss Yeti sharply, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the catbird seat on her front porch, looking out over the mountaintop and freezing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Puma. Do come again."

"Just a minute," spewed Mrs. Puma gratefully. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Yeti sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied bitterly.