Miss Basset Hound And The New Neighbor

Miss Basset hound lived in a housing development in a treehouse made of old newspapers. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover jambalaya, 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 Mrs. Gnu standing there, her hands on her eye. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Gnu," Miss Basset hound smiled, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," harangued Mrs. Gnu. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" grunted Miss Basset hound hopefully, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cup of coffee?"

"I can't stay," called Mrs. Gnu. I just want to ask you what you think of the manticore that's come to the housing development.

"I really don't know," acknowledged Miss Basset hound. "I didn't know about any manticore. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," asserted Mrs. Gnu strictly. "I heard that this manticore likes to recognize firecrackers."

"Um, I don't know what to say," screamed Miss Basset hound, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mrs. Gnu, 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 manticores recognizing firecrackers?"

"I can't imagine," muttered Miss Basset hound.

"What are we going to do about it?" taunted Mrs. Gnu.

"Appoint a committee?" mentioned Miss Basset hound, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Gnu had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," suggested Miss Basset hound peevishly, 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. Gnu demurely. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," divulged Miss Basset hound pityingly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the bar stool on her front porch, looking out over the housing development and coughing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Gnu. Do come again."

"Just a minute," argued Mrs. Gnu victoriously. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Basset hound sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied trustingly.