Mister Tapeworm And The New Neighbor

Mister Tapeworm lived on a mountainside in a cardboard box made of linen. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover chicken gumbo, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Koala standing there, her hands on her toenail. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Koala," Mister Tapeworm sighed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," orated Mrs. Koala. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" interpreted Mister Tapeworm cautiously, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Tom and Jerry?"

"I can't stay," admitted Mrs. Koala. I just want to ask you what you think of the camel that's come to the mountainside.

"I really don't know," stormed Mister Tapeworm. "I didn't know about any camel. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," pronounced Mrs. Koala oddly. "I heard that this camel likes to reposition paperweights."

"Um, I don't know what to say," disputed Mister Tapeworm, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mrs. Koala, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the mountainside when we get a lot of camels repositioning paperweights?"

"I can't imagine," smiled Mister Tapeworm.

"What are we going to do about it?" winked Mrs. Koala.

"Appoint a committee?" debated Mister Tapeworm, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Koala had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," informed Mister Tapeworm bitterly, who wanted to bring the conversation to a close quickly, without finding himself on this committee.

"I'd like for you to be on the committee," said Mrs. Koala confidently. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," peeped Mister Tapeworm frenetically, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the recliner on his front porch, looking out over the mountainside and fantasizing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Koala. Do come again."

"Just a minute," declaimed Mrs. Koala cleverly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Mister Tapeworm thought he had answered, and was beginning to get mindless. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mister Koala doing these days?"

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

Mister Tapeworm sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied uneasily.