Miss Buffalo And The New Neighbor

Miss Buffalo lived in a valley in a wikiup made of beeswax. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover country glazed ham, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Coyote standing there, his hands on his tooth. "How nice to see you, Mister Coyote," Miss Buffalo taunted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," moaned Mister Coyote. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" proposed Miss Buffalo breathlessly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of grape juice?"

"I can't stay," declaimed Mister Coyote. I just want to ask you what you think of the aardvark that's come to the valley.

"I really don't know," snorted Miss Buffalo. "I didn't know about any aardvark. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," hinted Mister Coyote numbly. "I heard that this aardvark likes to pierce rocks."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Coyote, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the valley when we get a lot of aardvarks piercing rocks?"

"I can't imagine," interpreted Miss Buffalo.

"What are we going to do about it?" boasted Mister Coyote.

"Appoint a committee?" spoke up Miss Buffalo, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Coyote had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," sighed Miss Buffalo brightly, 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 Coyote violently. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," responded Miss Buffalo stupidly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the credenza on her front porch, looking out over the valley and passing out. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Coyote. Do come again."

"Just a minute," trumpeted Mister Coyote sourly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Buffalo sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied diligently.