Miss Zebra And The New Neighbor

Miss Zebra lived on a path in a mobile home made of recycled newspaper. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover country glazed ham, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

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

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" tittered Miss Zebra briskly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a sassafras tea?"

"I can't stay," tittered Mrs. Koala. I just want to ask you what you think of the wallaby that's come to the path.

"I really don't know," repeated Miss Zebra. "I didn't know about any wallaby. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," purred Mrs. Koala valiantly. "I heard that this wallaby likes to distort campaign signs."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Koala, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the path when we get a lot of wallabies distorting campaign signs?"

"I can't imagine," guessed Miss Zebra.

"What are we going to do about it?" opined Mrs. Koala.

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

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

"Well that's a fine idea," expressed Miss Zebra silently, 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. Koala sadly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," revealed Miss Zebra haughtily, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the settee on her front porch, looking out over the path and dreaming. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Koala. Do come again."

"Just a minute," chortled Mrs. Koala fiercely. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Zebra sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied angrily.