Miss Raven And The New Neighbor

Miss Raven lived in a grassland in a housing project made of lath and plaster. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover cabbage, 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 Mister Reindeer standing there, his hands on his claw. "How nice to see you, Mister Reindeer," Miss Raven begged, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," offered Mister Reindeer. "May I come in?"

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

"I can't stay," spat Mister Reindeer. I just want to ask you what you think of the peacock that's come to the grassland.

"I really don't know," comforted Miss Raven. "I didn't know about any peacock. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," swore Mister Reindeer kindly. "I heard that this peacock likes to scrub fire hoses."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Reindeer, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the grassland when we get a lot of peacocks scrubbing fire hoses?"

"I can't imagine," yammered Miss Raven.

"What are we going to do about it?" lectured Mister Reindeer.

"Appoint a committee?" yelled Miss Raven, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Reindeer had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," intoned Miss Raven curiously, 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 Reindeer proudly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," amended Miss Raven accidentally, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the wine rack on her front porch, looking out over the grassland and crying. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Reindeer. Do come again."

"Just a minute," remarked Mister Reindeer awkwardly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Raven sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied cruelly.