Mister Dog And The New Neighbor

Mister Dog lived in a rainforest in a Cape Cod made of platinum. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover prune pudding, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Pekingese standing there, her hands on her thorax. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Pekingese," Mister Dog insisted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," questioned Mrs. Pekingese. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" guessed Mister Dog quickly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of water?"

"I can't stay," screeched Mrs. Pekingese. I just want to ask you what you think of the magpie that's come to the rainforest.

"I really don't know," reminded Mister Dog. "I didn't know about any magpie. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," laughed Mrs. Pekingese warmly. "I heard that this magpie likes to bite cardboard boxes."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Pekingese, 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 magpies biting cardboard boxes?"

"I can't imagine," muttered Mister Dog.

"What are we going to do about it?" chimed Mrs. Pekingese.

"Appoint a committee?" analyzed Mister Dog, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Pekingese had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," uttered Mister Dog courteously, 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. Pekingese mysteriously. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," analyzed Mister Dog gracefully, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the china hutch on his front porch, looking out over the rainforest and peeping. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Pekingese. Do come again."

"Just a minute," worried Mrs. Pekingese blissfully. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Dog sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied numbly.