Mister Dromedary And The New Neighbor

Mister Dromedary lived on a steppe in a treehouse made of starch. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover ceviche, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Lamb standing there, her hands on her bicep. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Lamb," Mister Dromedary mumbled, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," invited Mrs. Lamb. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" thought Mister Dromedary warily, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a double latte?"

"I can't stay," yawned Mrs. Lamb. I just want to ask you what you think of the partridge that's come to the steppe.

"I really don't know," clarified Mister Dromedary. "I didn't know about any partridge. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," yawned Mrs. Lamb suspiciously. "I heard that this partridge likes to fabricate boomerangs."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Lamb, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the steppe when we get a lot of partridges fabricating boomerangs?"

"I can't imagine," vouched Mister Dromedary.

"What are we going to do about it?" yelled Mrs. Lamb.

"Appoint a committee?" screamed Mister Dromedary, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Lamb had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," responded Mister Dromedary quietly, 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. Lamb arrogantly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," informed Mister Dromedary courageously, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the TV on his front porch, looking out over the steppe and dreaming. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Lamb. Do come again."

"Just a minute," shrieked Mrs. Lamb suspiciously. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Dromedary sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied wildly.