Miss Beetle lived on the mountainside in a travel trailer made of cardboard. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover egg salad sandwich, when she was surprised to hear a knock at the door.
She sallied forth to the door, wondering who would be stopping for a visit at this time of day.
She was surprised to see Mrs. Spider standing there, her hands on her calf. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Spider," Miss Beetle mused, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," shrieked Mrs. Spider. "May I come in?"
"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" rationalized Miss Beetle coldly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Tom and Jerry?"
"I can't stay," sighed Mrs. Spider. I just want to ask you what you think of the wolverine that's come to the mountainside.
"I really don't know," worried Miss Beetle. "I didn't know about any wolverine." "I'm sure he is very nice."
"Well don't be so sure," declaimed Mrs. Spider tenderly. "I heard that this wolverine likes to reconsider biscuits."
"Um, I don't know what to say," chuckled Miss Beetle, who really didn't know what to say.
"Well I do," said Mrs. Spider, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the mountainside when we get a lot of wolverines reconsidering biscuits?"
"I can't imagine," added Miss Beetle.
"What are we going to do about it?" bawled Mrs. Spider.
"Appoint a committee?" yawned Miss Beetle, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Spider had in mind.
"That's exactly right," said Mrs. Spider sweetly. "A committee to study the problem."
"Well that's a fine idea," questioned Miss Beetle fervently, who wanted to bring the conversation to a close quickly, without finding herself on this committee.
"I'd like for you to be on the committee," said Mrs. Spider unabashedly. "You always have such good ideas."
"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," debated Miss Beetle confidently, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the bar stool on her front porch, looking out over the mountainside and wiggling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Spider. Do come again."
"Just a minute," implored Mrs. Spider wildly. "You didn't answer about the committee."
Miss Beetle thought she had answered, and was beginning to get absent-minded. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mister Spider doing these days?"
Mrs. Spider would have none of it. "So, let's meet at your house, say tomorrow at two?"
Miss Beetle sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied clumsily.