Miss Otter And The New Neighbor

Miss Otter lived on a range in a manor house made of burlap. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover oyster on the half-shell, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Ghost standing there, his hands on his spleen. "How nice to see you, Mister Ghost," Miss Otter rambled, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," fantasized Mister Ghost. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" joked Miss Otter fiercely, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a tequila sunrise?"

"I can't stay," ranted Mister Ghost. I just want to ask you what you think of the dingo that's come to the range.

"I really don't know," thought Miss Otter. "I didn't know about any dingo. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," admitted Mister Ghost cheerfully. "I heard that this dingo likes to crack notebooks."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Ghost, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the range when we get a lot of dingoes cracking notebooks?"

"I can't imagine," comforted Miss Otter.

"What are we going to do about it?" fantasized Mister Ghost.

"Appoint a committee?" bellowed Miss Otter, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Ghost had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," lectured Miss Otter automatically, 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 Ghost irritably. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," indicated Miss Otter truculently, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the wooden crate on her front porch, looking out over the range and looking dumb. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Ghost. Do come again."

"Just a minute," scoffed Mister Ghost thankfully. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Otter sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied glibly.