Miss Garter Snake And The New Neighbor

Miss Garter snake lived in a buffalo wallow in a chateau made of tempered steel. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover oyster on the half-shell, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Alligator standing there, her hands on her foot. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Alligator," Miss Garter snake whined, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," interrupted Mrs. Alligator. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" blathered Miss Garter snake nimbly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of papaya juice?"

"I can't stay," prattled Mrs. Alligator. I just want to ask you what you think of the chicken that's come to the buffalo wallow.

"I really don't know," pointed out Miss Garter snake. "I didn't know about any chicken. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," revealed Mrs. Alligator coldly. "I heard that this chicken likes to soak chains."

"Um, I don't know what to say," amended Miss Garter snake, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mrs. Alligator, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the buffalo wallow when we get a lot of chickens soaking chains?"

"I can't imagine," uttered Miss Garter snake.

"What are we going to do about it?" added Mrs. Alligator.

"Appoint a committee?" suggested Miss Garter snake, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Alligator had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," grunted Miss Garter snake brightly, 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. Alligator brashly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," noted Miss Garter snake numbly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the pool table on her front porch, looking out over the buffalo wallow and shaking. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Alligator. Do come again."

"Just a minute," pronounced Mrs. Alligator crankily. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Garter snake sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied blankly.