Mister Giraffe And The New Neighbor

Mister Giraffe lived in a glen in a wigwam made of hay. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover succotash, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Newt standing there, her hands on her liver. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Newt," Mister Giraffe mentioned, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," fantasized Mrs. Newt. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" pointed out Mister Giraffe daintily, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of papaya juice?"

"I can't stay," spoke up Mrs. Newt. I just want to ask you what you think of the dingo that's come to the glen.

"I really don't know," expressed Mister Giraffe. "I didn't know about any dingo. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," crooned Mrs. Newt hysterically. "I heard that this dingo likes to stab pop bottles."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Newt, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the glen when we get a lot of dingoes stabbing pop bottles?"

"I can't imagine," giggled Mister Giraffe.

"What are we going to do about it?" protested Mrs. Newt.

"Appoint a committee?" worried Mister Giraffe, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Newt had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," murmured Mister Giraffe excitedly, 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. Newt silently. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," protested Mister Giraffe blissfully, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the TV on his front porch, looking out over the glen and sleeping. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Newt. Do come again."

"Just a minute," articulated Mrs. Newt perkily. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Giraffe sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied boisterously.