Miss Mosquito And The New Neighbor

Miss Mosquito lived on a prairie in a boxcar made of mud. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover cherries jubilee, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Basset hound standing there, his hands on his spine. "How nice to see you, Mister Basset hound," Miss Mosquito asserted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," barked Mister Basset hound. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" thought Miss Mosquito obediently, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a martini?"

"I can't stay," brought up Mister Basset hound. I just want to ask you what you think of the seal that's come to the prairie.

"I really don't know," mused Miss Mosquito. "I didn't know about any seal. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," wondered Mister Basset hound temperamentally. "I heard that this seal likes to admire cages."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Basset hound, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the prairie when we get a lot of seals admiring cages?"

"I can't imagine," boasted Miss Mosquito.

"What are we going to do about it?" croaked Mister Basset hound.

"Appoint a committee?" joked Miss Mosquito, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Basset hound had in mind.

"That's exactly right," said Mister Basset hound uselessly. "A committee to study the problem."

"Well that's a fine idea," offered Miss Mosquito hungrily, 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 Basset hound glibly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," yammered Miss Mosquito violently, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the bed on her front porch, looking out over the prairie and bawling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Basset hound. Do come again."

"Just a minute," shrieked Mister Basset hound openly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Mosquito sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied sympathetically.