Miss Panther And The New Neighbor

Miss Panther lived in a hayfield in an A-frame made of banana leaves. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover fried okra, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Penguin standing there, her hands on her leg. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Penguin," Miss Panther interpreted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," affirmed Mrs. Penguin. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" drawled Miss Panther anxiously, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a bottle of rum?"

"I can't stay," added Mrs. Penguin. I just want to ask you what you think of the brine shrimp that's come to the hayfield.

"I really don't know," intoned Miss Panther. "I didn't know about any brine shrimp. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," laughed Mrs. Penguin unabashedly. "I heard that this brine shrimp likes to grip computers."

"Um, I don't know what to say," spoke up Miss Panther, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mrs. Penguin, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the hayfield when we get a lot of brine shrimp gripping computers?"

"I can't imagine," yawned Miss Panther.

"What are we going to do about it?" stated Mrs. Penguin.

"Appoint a committee?" railed Miss Panther, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Penguin had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," sniped Miss Panther lovingly, 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. Penguin again. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," revealed Miss Panther flightily, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the bench on her front porch, looking out over the hayfield and grunting. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Penguin. Do come again."

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

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

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

Miss Panther sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied bitterly.