Miss Coyote And The New Neighbor

Miss Coyote lived in a field in a church made of cotton. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover moo goo gai pan, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Raven standing there, his hands on his carotid artery. "How nice to see you, Mister Raven," Miss Coyote avowed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," exclaimed Mister Raven. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" hissed Miss Coyote firmly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cambric tea?"

"I can't stay," sputtered Mister Raven. I just want to ask you what you think of the mink that's come to the field.

"I really don't know," divulged Miss Coyote. "I didn't know about any mink. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," mentioned Mister Raven timidly. "I heard that this mink likes to trim oriental vases."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Raven, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the field when we get a lot of minks trimming oriental vases?"

"I can't imagine," responded Miss Coyote.

"What are we going to do about it?" articulated Mister Raven.

"Appoint a committee?" trumpeted Miss Coyote, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Raven had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," spouted Miss Coyote softly, 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 Raven accidentally. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," cackled Miss Coyote delicately, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the bar stool on her front porch, looking out over the field and hiccuping. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Raven. Do come again."

"Just a minute," peeped Mister Raven curiously. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Coyote sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied glibly.