Miss Horsie And The New Neighbor

Miss Horsie lived in a desert in an A-frame made of rolled oats. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover jambalaya, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Yak standing there, her hands on her leg. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Yak," Miss Horsie guessed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," pronounced Mrs. Yak. "May I come in?"

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

"I can't stay," stammered Mrs. Yak. I just want to ask you what you think of the mongoose that's come to the desert.

"I really don't know," blurted Miss Horsie. "I didn't know about any mongoose. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," announced Mrs. Yak frenetically. "I heard that this mongoose likes to tweak hacksaws."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Yak, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the desert when we get a lot of mongeese tweaking hacksaws?"

"I can't imagine," trumpeted Miss Horsie.

"What are we going to do about it?" tittered Mrs. Yak.

"Appoint a committee?" bellowed Miss Horsie, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Yak had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," wailed Miss Horsie impatiently, 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. Yak breathlessly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," expressed Miss Horsie demurely, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the cushion on her front porch, looking out over the desert and screaming. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Yak. Do come again."

"Just a minute," retorted Mrs. Yak repeatedly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Horsie sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied courageously.