Mister Camel And The New Neighbor

Mister Camel lived on a grassy knoll in an A-frame made of cellophane. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover jambalaya, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

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

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" intimated Mister Camel later, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cup of eggnog?"

"I can't stay," phrased Mrs. Crow. I just want to ask you what you think of the spider that's come to the grassy knoll.

"I really don't know," rationalized Mister Camel. "I didn't know about any spider. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," debated Mrs. Crow roughly. "I heard that this spider likes to beat canes."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Crow, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the grassy knoll when we get a lot of spiders beating canes?"

"I can't imagine," howled Mister Camel.

"What are we going to do about it?" mused Mrs. Crow.

"Appoint a committee?" noted Mister Camel, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Crow had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," noted Mister Camel nimbly, 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. Crow deliberately. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," nattered Mister Camel narrowly, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the coffee table on his front porch, looking out over the grassy knoll and hiccuping. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Crow. Do come again."

"Just a minute," vouched Mrs. Crow threateningly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Camel sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied victoriously.