Mister Colt And The New Neighbor

Mister Colt lived in a bog in a penthouse made of cornhusks. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover cabbage, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Panda standing there, her hands on her wrist. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Panda," Mister Colt provoked, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," brought up Mrs. Panda. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" voiced Mister Colt blankly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of apple juice?"

"I can't stay," observed Mrs. Panda. I just want to ask you what you think of the ring-tailed lemur that's come to the bog.

"I really don't know," chattered Mister Colt. "I didn't know about any ring-tailed lemur. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," chortled Mrs. Panda peevishly. "I heard that this ring-tailed lemur likes to pierce Happy Meals."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Panda, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the bog when we get a lot of ring-tailed lemurs piercing Happy Meals?"

"I can't imagine," squawked Mister Colt.

"What are we going to do about it?" instructed Mrs. Panda.

"Appoint a committee?" proposed Mister Colt, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Panda had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," inquired Mister Colt slowly, 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. Panda ruefully. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," hollered Mister Colt arrogantly, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the china hutch on his front porch, looking out over the bog and pacing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Panda. Do come again."

"Just a minute," breathed Mrs. Panda brashly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

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