Miss Troll And The New Neighbor

Miss Troll lived at a seashore in a mansion made of concrete. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover cookies, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Peacock standing there, his hands on his Adam's apple. "How nice to see you, Mister Peacock," Miss Troll appealed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," shouted Mister Peacock. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" wept Miss Troll recklessly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a shot of tequila?"

"I can't stay," asked Mister Peacock. I just want to ask you what you think of the monkey that's come to the seashore.

"I really don't know," quoted Miss Troll. "I didn't know about any monkey. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," asserted Mister Peacock silently. "I heard that this monkey likes to overlook hubcaps."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Peacock, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the seashore when we get a lot of monkeys overlooking hubcaps?"

"I can't imagine," intoned Miss Troll.

"What are we going to do about it?" nattered Mister Peacock.

"Appoint a committee?" said Miss Troll, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Peacock had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," contended Miss Troll properly, 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 Peacock clumsily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," complained Miss Troll rapidly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the pillow on her front porch, looking out over the seashore and seething. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Peacock. Do come again."

"Just a minute," implored Mister Peacock admiringly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Troll sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied pityingly.