Miss Cockroach And The New Neighbor

Miss Cockroach lived in a pasture in a flat made of construction paper. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover hamburgers, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Hedgehog standing there, his hands on his belly button. "How nice to see you, Mister Hedgehog," Miss Cockroach disputed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," proposed Mister Hedgehog. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" lamented Miss Cockroach cruelly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a secret potion?"

"I can't stay," cried Mister Hedgehog. I just want to ask you what you think of the poodle that's come to the pasture.

"I really don't know," intoned Miss Cockroach. "I didn't know about any poodle. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," divulged Mister Hedgehog merrily. "I heard that this poodle likes to shoot ropes."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Hedgehog, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the pasture when we get a lot of poodles shooting ropes?"

"I can't imagine," judged Miss Cockroach.

"What are we going to do about it?" giggled Mister Hedgehog.

"Appoint a committee?" uttered Miss Cockroach, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Hedgehog had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," winked Miss Cockroach boldly, 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 Hedgehog sympathetically. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," appealed Miss Cockroach irritably, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the dresser on her front porch, looking out over the pasture and moaning. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Hedgehog. Do come again."

"Just a minute," crooned Mister Hedgehog uselessly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Cockroach sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied smoothly.