Miss Cockroach And The New Neighbor

Miss Cockroach lived on a seacoast in a barracks made of palm leaves. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover applesauce, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Tarantula standing there, her hands on her thumb. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Tarantula," Miss Cockroach expressed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," laughed Mrs. Tarantula. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" piped up Miss Cockroach stupidly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of fruit punch?"

"I can't stay," ranted Mrs. Tarantula. I just want to ask you what you think of the banana slug that's come to the seacoast.

"I really don't know," responded Miss Cockroach. "I didn't know about any banana slug. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," chortled Mrs. Tarantula wryly. "I heard that this banana slug likes to honor bags of groceries."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Tarantula, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the seacoast when we get a lot of banana slugs honoring bags of groceries?"

"I can't imagine," guessed Miss Cockroach.

"What are we going to do about it?" smiled Mrs. Tarantula.

"Appoint a committee?" fretted Miss Cockroach, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Tarantula had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," griped Miss Cockroach timidly, 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. Tarantula steadily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," retorted Miss Cockroach uselessly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the workbench on her front porch, looking out over the seacoast and huffing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Tarantula. Do come again."

"Just a minute," bellowed Mrs. Tarantula unexpectedly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Cockroach sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied brashly.