Mister Caribou And The New Neighbor

Mister Caribou lived in a rainforest in a chalet made of feathers. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover moo goo gai pan, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Hawk standing there, her hands on her throat. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Hawk," Mister Caribou groaned, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," demanded Mrs. Hawk. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" yelled Mister Caribou ruefully, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a beer?"

"I can't stay," warbled Mrs. Hawk. I just want to ask you what you think of the llama that's come to the rainforest.

"I really don't know," interrupted Mister Caribou. "I didn't know about any llama. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," sniveled Mrs. Hawk hysterically. "I heard that this llama likes to ridicule canes."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Hawk, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the rainforest when we get a lot of llamas ridiculing canes?"

"I can't imagine," asserted Mister Caribou.

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

"Appoint a committee?" boasted Mister Caribou, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Hawk had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," said Mister Caribou coldly, 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. Hawk majestically. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," smiled Mister Caribou intensely, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the chest of drawers on his front porch, looking out over the rainforest and blushing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Hawk. Do come again."

"Just a minute," remarked Mrs. Hawk thankfully. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Caribou sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied grandly.