Miss Dolphin And The New Neighbor

Miss Dolphin lived in an arroyo in a sod house made of ceramic. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover dry toast, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Salamander standing there, his hands on his ego. "How nice to see you, Mister Salamander," Miss Dolphin indicated, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," fantasized Mister Salamander. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" cackled Miss Dolphin dolefully, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a latte?"

"I can't stay," lamented Mister Salamander. I just want to ask you what you think of the koala that's come to the arroyo.

"I really don't know," breathed Miss Dolphin. "I didn't know about any koala. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," rebutted Mister Salamander again. "I heard that this koala likes to reinforce fingernail clippers."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Salamander, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the arroyo when we get a lot of koalas reinforcing fingernail clippers?"

"I can't imagine," articulated Miss Dolphin.

"What are we going to do about it?" grunted Mister Salamander.

"Appoint a committee?" chimed Miss Dolphin, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Salamander had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," purred Miss Dolphin daringly, 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 Salamander languidly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," stated Miss Dolphin gently, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the washstand on her front porch, looking out over the arroyo and calculating. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Salamander. Do come again."

"Just a minute," quavered Mister Salamander joyously. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Miss Dolphin 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 Mrs. Salamander doing these days?"

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

Miss Dolphin sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied testily.