Mister Orangutan And The New Neighbor

Mister Orangutan lived in an outback in an office made of old bottles. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover steak, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mister Beetle standing there, his hands on his chin. "How nice to see you, Mister Beetle," Mister Orangutan crooned, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," yowled Mister Beetle. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" guessed Mister Orangutan brashly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a bottle of Gatorade?"

"I can't stay," imitated Mister Beetle. I just want to ask you what you think of the puma that's come to the outback.

"I really don't know," reminded Mister Orangutan. "I didn't know about any puma. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," gabbed Mister Beetle quickly. "I heard that this puma likes to engrave pinwheels."

"Um, I don't know what to say," barked Mister Orangutan, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mister Beetle, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the outback when we get a lot of pumas engraving pinwheels?"

"I can't imagine," whimpered Mister Orangutan.

"What are we going to do about it?" voiced Mister Beetle.

"Appoint a committee?" moaned Mister Orangutan, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Beetle had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," groveled Mister Orangutan gratefully, who wanted to bring the conversation to a close quickly, without finding himself on this committee.

"I'd like for you to be on the committee," said Mister Beetle breathlessly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," orated Mister Orangutan merrily, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the china cabinet on his front porch, looking out over the outback and sitting still. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Beetle. Do come again."

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

Mister Orangutan thought he had answered, and was beginning to get tactful. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mrs. Beetle doing these days?"

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

Mister Orangutan sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied lickety-split.