Miss Hyena And The New Neighbor

Miss Hyena lived in a housing development in a condominium made of foam. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover bread and butter, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

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

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" trumpeted Miss Hyena hysterically, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Seven and Seven?"

"I can't stay," mumbled Mrs. Chicken. I just want to ask you what you think of the colt that's come to the housing development.

"I really don't know," proposed Miss Hyena. "I didn't know about any colt. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," yowled Mrs. Chicken glibly. "I heard that this colt likes to mutilate pizzas."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Chicken, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the housing development when we get a lot of colts mutilating pizzas?"

"I can't imagine," chimed Miss Hyena.

"What are we going to do about it?" vowed Mrs. Chicken.

"Appoint a committee?" asked Miss Hyena, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Chicken had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," vouched Miss Hyena ruefully, 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. Chicken shakily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," queried Miss Hyena solemnly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the bathtub on her front porch, looking out over the housing development and purring. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Chicken. Do come again."

"Just a minute," yowled Mrs. Chicken anxiously. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Hyena sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied sleepily.