Miss Cobra And The New Neighbor

Miss Cobra lived on a plateau in a Cape Cod made of pewter. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover sweet potatoes, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Dinosaur standing there, his hands on his eyeball. "How nice to see you, Mister Dinosaur," Miss Cobra demanded, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," rationalized Mister Dinosaur. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" hummed Miss Cobra brashly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a hot buttered rum?"

"I can't stay," shuddered Mister Dinosaur. I just want to ask you what you think of the crow that's come to the plateau.

"I really don't know," quoted Miss Cobra. "I didn't know about any crow. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," begged Mister Dinosaur sharply. "I heard that this crow likes to whirl ropes."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Dinosaur, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the plateau when we get a lot of crows whirling ropes?"

"I can't imagine," wailed Miss Cobra.

"What are we going to do about it?" squeaked Mister Dinosaur.

"Appoint a committee?" recited Miss Cobra, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Dinosaur had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," persisted Miss Cobra grudgingly, 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 Dinosaur tearfully. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," cried Miss Cobra steadily, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the cash register on her front porch, looking out over the plateau and coming back. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Dinosaur. Do come again."

"Just a minute," rambled Mister Dinosaur cleverly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Cobra sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied later.