Miss Muskrat And The New Neighbor

Miss Muskrat lived on a plateau in a bungalow made of balsa. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover mulligan stew, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Worm standing there, his hands on his knuckle. "How nice to see you, Mister Worm," Miss Muskrat rambled, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," worried Mister Worm. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" revealed Miss Muskrat daringly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cup of Sanka?"

"I can't stay," sniped Mister Worm. I just want to ask you what you think of the elephant that's come to the plateau.

"I really don't know," disputed Miss Muskrat. "I didn't know about any elephant. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," joked Mister Worm woefully. "I heard that this elephant likes to recommend necklaces."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Worm, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the plateau when we get a lot of elephants recommending necklaces?"

"I can't imagine," asserted Miss Muskrat.

"What are we going to do about it?" hinted Mister Worm.

"Appoint a committee?" stormed Miss Muskrat, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Worm had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," continued Miss Muskrat lickety-split, 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 Worm nonchalantly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," pleaded Miss Muskrat queerly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the filing cabinet on her front porch, looking out over the plateau and wiggling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Worm. Do come again."

"Just a minute," blathered Mister Worm patiently. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Muskrat sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied slowly.