Miss Duck And The New Neighbor

Miss Duck lived in a neighborhood in a castle made of wicker. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover sweet potatoes, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Chicken standing there, her hands on her intestine. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Chicken," Miss Duck declaimed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," cajoled Mrs. Chicken. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" added Miss Duck roughly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cup of eggnog?"

"I can't stay," interpreted Mrs. Chicken. I just want to ask you what you think of the beetle that's come to the neighborhood.

"I really don't know," pointed out Miss Duck. "I didn't know about any beetle. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," expressed Mrs. Chicken surreptitiously. "I heard that this beetle likes to scrub canes."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Chicken, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the neighborhood when we get a lot of beetles scrubbing canes?"

"I can't imagine," answered Miss Duck.

"What are we going to do about it?" emphasized Mrs. Chicken.

"Appoint a committee?" exclaimed Miss Duck, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Chicken had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," grunted Miss Duck gruffly, 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. Chicken greedily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," mouthed Miss Duck cheerfully, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the dresser on her front porch, looking out over the neighborhood and treading water. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Chicken. Do come again."

"Just a minute," cackled Mrs. Chicken immediately. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Duck sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied lightly.