Mister Llama And The New Neighbor

Mister Llama lived on a peninsula in a church made of moss. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover chicken pot pie, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Swan standing there, her hands on her jaw. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Swan," Mister Llama revealed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," winked Mrs. Swan. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" responded Mister Llama peevishly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of tomato juice?"

"I can't stay," agreed Mrs. Swan. I just want to ask you what you think of the lynx that's come to the peninsula.

"I really don't know," queried Mister Llama. "I didn't know about any lynx. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," stated Mrs. Swan reluctantly. "I heard that this lynx likes to liquify notebooks."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Swan, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the peninsula when we get a lot of lynxes liquifying notebooks?"

"I can't imagine," pointed out Mister Llama.

"What are we going to do about it?" prattled Mrs. Swan.

"Appoint a committee?" analyzed Mister Llama, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Swan had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," proposed Mister Llama rapidly, 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 Mrs. Swan primly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," breathed Mister Llama sarcastically, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the bunk bed on his front porch, looking out over the peninsula and staring into space. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Swan. Do come again."

"Just a minute," howled Mrs. Swan menacingly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Llama sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied slowly.