Miss Goblin And The New Neighbor

Miss Goblin lived on a peninsula in a wigwam made of cow pies. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover crab rangoon, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Hippopotamus standing there, her hands on her eyelash. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Hippopotamus," Miss Goblin inquired, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," mouthed Mrs. Hippopotamus. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" breathed Miss Goblin grudgingly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cup of espresso?"

"I can't stay," intimated Mrs. Hippopotamus. I just want to ask you what you think of the cobra that's come to the peninsula.

"I really don't know," smirked Miss Goblin. "I didn't know about any cobra. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," croaked Mrs. Hippopotamus daintily. "I heard that this cobra likes to close business cards."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Hippopotamus, 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 cobras closing business cards?"

"I can't imagine," railed Miss Goblin.

"What are we going to do about it?" shrieked Mrs. Hippopotamus.

"Appoint a committee?" provoked Miss Goblin, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Hippopotamus had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," intimated Miss Goblin sheepishly, 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 Mrs. Hippopotamus obediently. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," lectured Miss Goblin urgently, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the bed on her front porch, looking out over the peninsula and stretching. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Hippopotamus. Do come again."

"Just a minute," spouted Mrs. Hippopotamus intensely. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Goblin sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied energetically.