Miss Koala And The New Neighbor

Miss Koala lived in a badlands area in a condominium made of gingerbread. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover hash, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Mule standing there, her hands on her pinky. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Mule," Miss Koala fumed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," drawled Mrs. Mule. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" conversed Miss Koala coldly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of papaya juice?"

"I can't stay," yelled Mrs. Mule. I just want to ask you what you think of the bat that's come to the badlands area.

"I really don't know," requested Miss Koala. "I didn't know about any bat. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," nattered Mrs. Mule sagely. "I heard that this bat likes to hide cookbooks."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Mule, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the badlands area when we get a lot of bats hiding cookbooks?"

"I can't imagine," declaimed Miss Koala.

"What are we going to do about it?" cried Mrs. Mule.

"Appoint a committee?" mumbled Miss Koala, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Mule had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," brought up Miss Koala wryly, 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. Mule threateningly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," fretted Miss Koala speedily, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the coat rack on her front porch, looking out over the badlands area and shriveling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Mule. Do come again."

"Just a minute," thought Mrs. Mule unexpectedly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Koala sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied stupidly.