Miss Panther And The New Neighbor

Miss Panther lived in a gulch in a quonset hut made of marbles. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover egg rolls, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Rhinoceros standing there, his hands on his eye. "How nice to see you, Mister Rhinoceros," Miss Panther peeped, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," stormed Mister Rhinoceros. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" murmured Miss Panther again, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a gin fizz?"

"I can't stay," professed Mister Rhinoceros. I just want to ask you what you think of the yak that's come to the gulch.

"I really don't know," revealed Miss Panther. "I didn't know about any yak. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," vouched Mister Rhinoceros furiously. "I heard that this yak likes to distort rolls of duct tape."

"Um, I don't know what to say," winked Miss Panther, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mister Rhinoceros, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the gulch when we get a lot of yaks distorting rolls of duct tape?"

"I can't imagine," acknowledged Miss Panther.

"What are we going to do about it?" revealed Mister Rhinoceros.

"Appoint a committee?" roared Miss Panther, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Rhinoceros had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," groveled Miss Panther primly, 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 Mister Rhinoceros gently. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," brought up Miss Panther blindly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the couch on her front porch, looking out over the gulch and flinching. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Rhinoceros. Do come again."

"Just a minute," stuttered Mister Rhinoceros stupidly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Miss Panther thought she had answered, and was beginning to get radiant. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mrs. Rhinoceros doing these days?"

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

Miss Panther sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied bitterly.