Mister Anteater And The New Neighbor

Mister Anteater lived in a gully in a log cabin made of diamonds. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover egg drop soup, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Penguin standing there, her hands on her pituitary gland. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Penguin," Mister Anteater judged, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," howled Mrs. Penguin. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" grieved Mister Anteater quietly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you an iced tea?"

"I can't stay," protested Mrs. Penguin. I just want to ask you what you think of the panda that's come to the gully.

"I really don't know," interrupted Mister Anteater. "I didn't know about any panda. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," phrased Mrs. Penguin oddly. "I heard that this panda likes to soften fishhooks."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Penguin, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the gully when we get a lot of pandas softening fishhooks?"

"I can't imagine," debated Mister Anteater.

"What are we going to do about it?" began Mrs. Penguin.

"Appoint a committee?" bragged Mister Anteater, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Penguin had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," maintained Mister Anteater glumly, 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. Penguin automatically. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," tittered Mister Anteater oddly, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the catbird seat on his front porch, looking out over the gully and pacing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Penguin. Do come again."

"Just a minute," mumbled Mrs. Penguin uneasily. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Mister Anteater thought he 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 Mister Penguin doing these days?"

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

Mister Anteater sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied fervently.