Miss Kangaroo And The New Neighbor

Miss Kangaroo lived on a range in a manor house made of brick. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover doughnuts, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Flea standing there, her hands on her heart. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Flea," Miss Kangaroo comforted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," sniveled Mrs. Flea. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" cried Miss Kangaroo demurely, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cup of bouillon?"

"I can't stay," shouted Mrs. Flea. I just want to ask you what you think of the mountain goat that's come to the range.

"I really don't know," agreed Miss Kangaroo. "I didn't know about any mountain goat. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," agreed Mrs. Flea gently. "I heard that this mountain goat likes to melt Barbie dolls."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Flea, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the range when we get a lot of mountain goats melting Barbie dolls?"

"I can't imagine," alleged Miss Kangaroo.

"What are we going to do about it?" emphasized Mrs. Flea.

"Appoint a committee?" spoke up Miss Kangaroo, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Flea had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," drawled Miss Kangaroo truculently, 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. Flea sarcastically. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," whimpered Miss Kangaroo happily, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the settee on her front porch, looking out over the range and puffing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Flea. Do come again."

"Just a minute," preached Mrs. Flea needlessly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Kangaroo sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied uneasily.