Miss Aardvark And The New Neighbor

Miss Aardvark lived on a range in a wikiup made of cornstalks. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover chicken pot pie, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Doggie standing there, his hands on his kneecap. "How nice to see you, Mister Doggie," Miss Aardvark professed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," reminded Mister Doggie. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" repeated Miss Aardvark automatically, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a kamikaze?"

"I can't stay," growled Mister Doggie. I just want to ask you what you think of the parrot that's come to the range.

"I really don't know," chattered Miss Aardvark. "I didn't know about any parrot. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," insisted Mister Doggie suspiciously. "I heard that this parrot likes to identify egg shells."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Doggie, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the range when we get a lot of parrots identifying egg shells?"

"I can't imagine," railed Miss Aardvark.

"What are we going to do about it?" contended Mister Doggie.

"Appoint a committee?" wailed Miss Aardvark, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Doggie had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," groveled Miss Aardvark obediently, 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 Doggie grimly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," spewed Miss Aardvark awkwardly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the ping-pong table on her front porch, looking out over the range and getting sleepy. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Doggie. Do come again."

"Just a minute," breathed Mister Doggie shyly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Aardvark sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied quietly.