Miss Dolphin And The New Neighbor

Miss Dolphin lived on a hillside in a quonset hut made of uranium. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover cookies, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

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

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" enunciated Miss Dolphin happily, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you an iced tea?"

"I can't stay," fantasized Mister Crocodile. I just want to ask you what you think of the parrot that's come to the hillside.

"I really don't know," observed Miss Dolphin. "I didn't know about any parrot. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," breathed Mister Crocodile dolorously. "I heard that this parrot likes to dispose of egg shells."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Crocodile, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the hillside when we get a lot of parrots disposing of egg shells?"

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

"What are we going to do about it?" accused Mister Crocodile.

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

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

"Well that's a fine idea," reasoned Miss Dolphin blissfully, 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 Crocodile truculently. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," growled Miss Dolphin shyly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the safe on her front porch, looking out over the hillside and swooning. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Crocodile. Do come again."

"Just a minute," contended Mister Crocodile perkily. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

Mister Crocodile 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 wearily.