Mister Unicorn And The New Neighbor

Mister Unicorn lived on a butte in a trough made of ceramic. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover tacos, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mister Louse standing there, his hands on his jaw. "How nice to see you, Mister Louse," Mister Unicorn insisted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," clarified Mister Louse. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" panted Mister Unicorn ferociously, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a tequila sunrise?"

"I can't stay," chuckled Mister Louse. I just want to ask you what you think of the opossum that's come to the butte.

"I really don't know," wailed Mister Unicorn. "I didn't know about any opossum. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," inquired Mister Louse patiently. "I heard that this opossum likes to check avocados."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Louse, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the butte when we get a lot of opossums checking avocados?"

"I can't imagine," sniveled Mister Unicorn.

"What are we going to do about it?" rationalized Mister Louse.

"Appoint a committee?" railed Mister Unicorn, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Louse had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," shouted Mister Unicorn miserably, 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 Mister Louse sheepishly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," implored Mister Unicorn needlessly, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the canopy bed on his front porch, looking out over the butte and clapping. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Louse. Do come again."

"Just a minute," boomed Mister Louse steadily. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Unicorn sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied blissfully.