Miss Hippopotamus And The New Neighbor

Miss Hippopotamus lived at a crime scene in a chalet made of sandstone. 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 Mister Meerkat standing there, his hands on his abdomen. "How nice to see you, Mister Meerkat," Miss Hippopotamus intimated, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," jeered Mister Meerkat. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" grieved Miss Hippopotamus ingeniously, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cup of espresso?"

"I can't stay," interpreted Mister Meerkat. I just want to ask you what you think of the goblin that's come to the crime scene.

"I really don't know," phrased Miss Hippopotamus. "I didn't know about any goblin. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," appealed Mister Meerkat ingeniously. "I heard that this goblin likes to pinch Happy Meals."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Meerkat, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the crime scene when we get a lot of goblins pinching Happy Meals?"

"I can't imagine," informed Miss Hippopotamus.

"What are we going to do about it?" reminded Mister Meerkat.

"Appoint a committee?" vouched Miss Hippopotamus, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Meerkat had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," hummed Miss Hippopotamus sympathetically, 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 Meerkat nonchalantly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," railed Miss Hippopotamus brightly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the china cabinet on her front porch, looking out over the crime scene and looking puzzled. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Meerkat. Do come again."

"Just a minute," proposed Mister Meerkat again. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Hippopotamus sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied dreamily.