Mister Hedgehog And The New Neighbor

Mister Hedgehog lived in a dumpster in an office made of wicker. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover chocolate-covered ants, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Ghost standing there, her hands on her hangnail. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Ghost," Mister Hedgehog proposed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," squeaked Mrs. Ghost. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" taunted Mister Hedgehog wryly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a kamikaze?"

"I can't stay," nattered Mrs. Ghost. I just want to ask you what you think of the manatee that's come to the dumpster.

"I really don't know," crooned Mister Hedgehog. "I didn't know about any manatee. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," growled Mrs. Ghost irritably. "I heard that this manatee likes to refine corncobs."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Ghost, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the dumpster when we get a lot of manatees refining corncobs?"

"I can't imagine," yelled Mister Hedgehog.

"What are we going to do about it?" moaned Mrs. Ghost.

"Appoint a committee?" analyzed Mister Hedgehog, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Ghost had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," pleaded Mister Hedgehog sourly, 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 Mrs. Ghost gleefully. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," affirmed Mister Hedgehog daintily, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the fainting couch on his front porch, looking out over the dumpster and cheering. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Ghost. Do come again."

"Just a minute," rambled Mrs. Ghost gratefully. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Hedgehog sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied diligently.