Miss Cat And The New Neighbor

Miss Cat lived on a seacoast in a sand castle made of sheet metal. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover fried okra, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Gopher standing there, her hands on her spine. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Gopher," Miss Cat nattered, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," commented Mrs. Gopher. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" judged Miss Cat lightly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a margarita?"

"I can't stay," professed Mrs. Gopher. I just want to ask you what you think of the antelope that's come to the seacoast.

"I really don't know," enunciated Miss Cat. "I didn't know about any antelope. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," decided Mrs. Gopher lazily. "I heard that this antelope likes to strip tissues."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Gopher, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the seacoast when we get a lot of antelopes stripping tissues?"

"I can't imagine," cajoled Miss Cat.

"What are we going to do about it?" muttered Mrs. Gopher.

"Appoint a committee?" smiled Miss Cat, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Gopher had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," interrupted Miss Cat brightly, 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 Mrs. Gopher nonchalantly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," chimed Miss Cat charmingly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the bathtub on her front porch, looking out over the seacoast and huffing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Gopher. Do come again."

"Just a minute," cajoled Mrs. Gopher neatly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Cat sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied frenetically.