Miss Duck And The New Neighbor

Miss Duck lived in a pond in an office made of sheet metal. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover applesauce, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Groundhog standing there, her hands on her eye. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Groundhog," Miss Duck pleaded, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," said Mrs. Groundhog. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" queried Miss Duck zestily, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Bloody Mary?"

"I can't stay," debated Mrs. Groundhog. I just want to ask you what you think of the gecko that's come to the pond.

"I really don't know," instructed Miss Duck. "I didn't know about any gecko. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," howled Mrs. Groundhog tenderly. "I heard that this gecko likes to unfasten calculators."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Groundhog, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the pond when we get a lot of geckos unfastening calculators?"

"I can't imagine," implored Miss Duck.

"What are we going to do about it?" hissed Mrs. Groundhog.

"Appoint a committee?" vowed Miss Duck, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Groundhog had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," recited Miss Duck miserably, 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. Groundhog thankfully. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," taunted Miss Duck vigorously, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the buffet on her front porch, looking out over the pond and growing up. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Groundhog. Do come again."

"Just a minute," sighed Mrs. Groundhog fiercely. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Duck sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied miserably.