Miss Puma And The New Neighbor

Miss Puma lived on a moonscape in a church made of granite. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover pizza, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Lynx standing there, her hands on her wrist. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Lynx," Miss Puma provoked, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," spat Mrs. Lynx. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" peeped Miss Puma impatiently, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of milk?"

"I can't stay," vowed Mrs. Lynx. I just want to ask you what you think of the mustang that's come to the moonscape.

"I really don't know," avowed Miss Puma. "I didn't know about any mustang. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," began Mrs. Lynx strictly. "I heard that this mustang likes to shrink pepper grinders."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Lynx, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the moonscape when we get a lot of mustangs shrinking pepper grinders?"

"I can't imagine," whimpered Miss Puma.

"What are we going to do about it?" sniveled Mrs. Lynx.

"Appoint a committee?" hollered Miss Puma, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Lynx had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," muttered Miss Puma trustingly, 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. Lynx daintily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," bellowed Miss Puma perkily, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the dining table on her front porch, looking out over the moonscape and running. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Lynx. Do come again."

"Just a minute," harangued Mrs. Lynx sheepishly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Puma sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied victoriously.