Miss Lemur And The New Neighbor

Miss Lemur lived beside a river in a villa made of seaweed. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover fish and chips, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Zebra standing there, her hands on her adrenal gland. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Zebra," Miss Lemur hinted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," answered Mrs. Zebra. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" emphasized Miss Lemur gruffly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a bottle of water?"

"I can't stay," informed Mrs. Zebra. I just want to ask you what you think of the ox that's come to the river.

"I really don't know," asked Miss Lemur. "I didn't know about any ox. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," clarified Mrs. Zebra sarcastically. "I heard that this ox likes to re-evaluate handkerchiefs."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Zebra, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the river when we get a lot of oxen re-evaluating handkerchiefs?"

"I can't imagine," stuttered Miss Lemur.

"What are we going to do about it?" hollered Mrs. Zebra.

"Appoint a committee?" declaimed Miss Lemur, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Zebra had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," spat Miss Lemur ingeniously, 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. Zebra daintily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," bawled Miss Lemur oddly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the stool on her front porch, looking out over the river and shaking. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Zebra. Do come again."

"Just a minute," queried Mrs. Zebra languidly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Lemur sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied ingeniously.