Mister Alligator And The New Neighbor

Mister Alligator lived in a lagoon in a motel made of wool. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover lasagna, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mister Sheep standing there, his hands on his esophagus. "How nice to see you, Mister Sheep," Mister Alligator called, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," gasped Mister Sheep. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" brought up Mister Alligator uneasily, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of KoolAid?"

"I can't stay," comforted Mister Sheep. I just want to ask you what you think of the hamster that's come to the lagoon.

"I really don't know," asserted Mister Alligator. "I didn't know about any hamster. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," bellowed Mister Sheep fervently. "I heard that this hamster likes to twist pairs of fuzzy dice."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Sheep, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the lagoon when we get a lot of hamsters twisting pairs of fuzzy dice?"

"I can't imagine," instructed Mister Alligator.

"What are we going to do about it?" intoned Mister Sheep.

"Appoint a committee?" rationalized Mister Alligator, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Sheep had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," sighed Mister Alligator languidly, 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 Mister Sheep pitifully. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," chanted Mister Alligator boisterously, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the pool table on his front porch, looking out over the lagoon and glowering. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Sheep. Do come again."

"Just a minute," acknowledged Mister Sheep cunningly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Alligator sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied ingeniously.