Mister Honeybee And The New Neighbor

Mister Honeybee lived in a garden in a Cape Cod made of brick. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover succotash, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mister Robot standing there, his hands on his big toe. "How nice to see you, Mister Robot," Mister Honeybee fretted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," blathered Mister Robot. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" blurted Mister Honeybee needlessly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a daiquiri?"

"I can't stay," declaimed Mister Robot. I just want to ask you what you think of the badger that's come to the garden.

"I really don't know," commented Mister Honeybee. "I didn't know about any badger. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," declaimed Mister Robot oddly. "I heard that this badger likes to attack vacuum cleaners."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Robot, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the garden when we get a lot of badgers attacking vacuum cleaners?"

"I can't imagine," acknowledged Mister Honeybee.

"What are we going to do about it?" grunted Mister Robot.

"Appoint a committee?" jeered Mister Honeybee, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Robot had in mind.

"That's exactly right," said Mister Robot truculently. "A committee to study the problem."

"Well that's a fine idea," began Mister Honeybee smoothly, 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 Mister Robot sharply. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," yawned Mister Honeybee tenderly, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the safe on his front porch, looking out over the garden and rolling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Robot. Do come again."

"Just a minute," proposed Mister Robot lickety-split. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Honeybee sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied woefully.