Miss Pony And The New Neighbor

Miss Pony lived in a neighborhood in a cottage made of tempered steel. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover blueberry pie, 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 Mister Chipmunk standing there, his hands on his big toe. "How nice to see you, Mister Chipmunk," Miss Pony professed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," debated Mister Chipmunk. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" bellowed Miss Pony calmly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a whiskey?"

"I can't stay," complained Mister Chipmunk. I just want to ask you what you think of the raccoon that's come to the neighborhood.

"I really don't know," hollered Miss Pony. "I didn't know about any raccoon. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," concluded Mister Chipmunk coldly. "I heard that this raccoon likes to shrink file folders."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Chipmunk, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the neighborhood when we get a lot of raccoons shrinking file folders?"

"I can't imagine," yelled Miss Pony.

"What are we going to do about it?" expressed Mister Chipmunk.

"Appoint a committee?" began Miss Pony, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Chipmunk had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," clarified Miss Pony unnaturally, 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 Chipmunk accidentally. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," provoked Miss Pony slyly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the bookcase on her front porch, looking out over the neighborhood and drooling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Chipmunk. Do come again."

"Just a minute," declaimed Mister Chipmunk dreamily. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Pony sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied accidentally.