Miss Panther And The New Neighbor

Miss Panther lived on a mesa in a loft made of string. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover hamburgers, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Coyote standing there, his hands on his adrenal gland. "How nice to see you, Mister Coyote," Miss Panther jeered, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," hinted Mister Coyote. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" avowed Miss Panther irritably, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Coke?"

"I can't stay," argued Mister Coyote. I just want to ask you what you think of the poodle that's come to the mesa.

"I really don't know," yammered Miss Panther. "I didn't know about any poodle. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," announced Mister Coyote defiantly. "I heard that this poodle likes to kiss paper towels."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Coyote, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the mesa when we get a lot of poodles kissing paper towels?"

"I can't imagine," blustered Miss Panther.

"What are we going to do about it?" added Mister Coyote.

"Appoint a committee?" brought up Miss Panther, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Coyote had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," yelled Miss Panther roughly, 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 Coyote uselessly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," queried Miss Panther lovingly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the pillow on her front porch, looking out over the mesa and waking up. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Coyote. Do come again."

"Just a minute," cried Mister Coyote gleefully. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Panther sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied demurely.