Miss Ferret And The New Neighbor

Miss Ferret lived on a trail in a parsonage made of bones. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover fondue, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Newt standing there, her hands on her leg. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Newt," Miss Ferret questioned, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," bawled Mrs. Newt. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" remarked Miss Ferret doubtfully, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Shirley Temple?"

"I can't stay," enunciated Mrs. Newt. I just want to ask you what you think of the hornet that's come to the trail.

"I really don't know," peeped Miss Ferret. "I didn't know about any hornet. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," protested Mrs. Newt curiously. "I heard that this hornet likes to archive pictures."

"Um, I don't know what to say," snarled Miss Ferret, 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 trail when we get a lot of hornets archiving pictures?"

"I can't imagine," mentioned Miss Ferret.

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

"Appoint a committee?" wondered Miss Ferret, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Newt had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," noted Miss Ferret urgently, 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. Newt slowly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," screamed Miss Ferret impatiently, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the wine rack on her front porch, looking out over the trail and falling asleep. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Newt. Do come again."

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

Miss Ferret thought she had answered, and was beginning to get brash. "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?"

Miss Ferret sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied deftly.