Miss Monkey And The New Neighbor

Miss Monkey lived on a peninsula in a loft made of wicker. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover moo goo gai pan, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Tiger standing there, her hands on her skull. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Tiger," Miss Monkey intoned, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," sighed Mrs. Tiger. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" raved Miss Monkey bravely, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a daiquiri?"

"I can't stay," whimpered Mrs. Tiger. I just want to ask you what you think of the aardvark that's come to the peninsula.

"I really don't know," belched Miss Monkey. "I didn't know about any aardvark. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," yelled Mrs. Tiger sheepishly. "I heard that this aardvark likes to harden candles."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Tiger, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the peninsula when we get a lot of aardvarks hardening candles?"

"I can't imagine," affirmed Miss Monkey.

"What are we going to do about it?" chortled Mrs. Tiger.

"Appoint a committee?" boomed Miss Monkey, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Tiger had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," asserted Miss Monkey intensely, 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. Tiger hysterically. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," articulated Miss Monkey uneasily, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the washstand on her front porch, looking out over the peninsula and clearing out. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Tiger. Do come again."

"Just a minute," groaned Mrs. Tiger recklessly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Monkey sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied sorrowfully.