Mister Donkey And The New Neighbor

Mister Donkey lived on a cliff in an apartment made of stone. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover pecan pie, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Dolphin standing there, her hands on her kneecap. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Dolphin," Mister Donkey retorted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," squealed Mrs. Dolphin. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" mouthed Mister Donkey breathlessly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cosmopolitan?"

"I can't stay," divulged Mrs. Dolphin. I just want to ask you what you think of the hawk that's come to the cliff.

"I really don't know," opined Mister Donkey. "I didn't know about any hawk. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," snarled Mrs. Dolphin menacingly. "I heard that this hawk likes to observe calling cards."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Dolphin, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the cliff when we get a lot of hawks observing calling cards?"

"I can't imagine," jeered Mister Donkey.

"What are we going to do about it?" squeaked Mrs. Dolphin.

"Appoint a committee?" interrupted Mister Donkey, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Dolphin had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," roared Mister Donkey viciously, 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. Dolphin sharply. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," spat Mister Donkey blissfully, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the footstool on his front porch, looking out over the cliff and grumbling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Dolphin. Do come again."

"Just a minute," judged Mrs. Dolphin grandly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Mister Donkey 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 Mister Dolphin doing these days?"

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

Mister Donkey sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied warmly.