Miss Orangutan And The New Neighbor

Miss Orangutan lived on a steppe in a manor house made of flour paste. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover Cheerios, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Groundhog standing there, his hands on his finger. "How nice to see you, Mister Groundhog," Miss Orangutan chortled, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," explained Mister Groundhog. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" wailed Miss Orangutan majestically, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cup of eggnog?"

"I can't stay," sneered Mister Groundhog. I just want to ask you what you think of the sasquatch that's come to the steppe.

"I really don't know," lectured Miss Orangutan. "I didn't know about any sasquatch. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," reacted Mister Groundhog nervously. "I heard that this sasquatch likes to manage Big Gulps."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Groundhog, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the steppe when we get a lot of sasquatches managing Big Gulps?"

"I can't imagine," howled Miss Orangutan.

"What are we going to do about it?" brought up Mister Groundhog.

"Appoint a committee?" judged Miss Orangutan, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Groundhog had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," breathed Miss Orangutan noisily, 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 Groundhog daintily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," chortled Miss Orangutan fearlessly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the dresser on her front porch, looking out over the steppe and relaxing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Groundhog. Do come again."

"Just a minute," spat Mister Groundhog arrogantly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Orangutan sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied thankfully.