Miss Cobra And The New Neighbor

Miss Cobra lived on a cliff in a loft made of mud. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover chopped liver, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

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

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" sighed Miss Cobra bravely, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Seven and Seven?"

"I can't stay," groaned Mister Gnu. I just want to ask you what you think of the opossum that's come to the cliff.

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

"Well don't be so sure," preached Mister Gnu admiringly. "I heard that this opossum likes to reconsider diamonds."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Gnu, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the cliff when we get a lot of opossums reconsidering diamonds?"

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

"What are we going to do about it?" raved Mister Gnu.

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

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

"Well that's a fine idea," sobbed Miss Cobra cruelly, 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 Gnu deliberately. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," hissed Miss Cobra testily, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the coffee table on her front porch, looking out over the cliff and running. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Gnu. Do come again."

"Just a minute," acknowledged Mister Gnu courteously. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

Mister Gnu 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 trustingly.