Miss Parakeet And The New Neighbor

Miss Parakeet lived beside a creek in a boxcar made of cardboard. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover hash, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Pig standing there, his hands on his eyelid. "How nice to see you, Mister Pig," Miss Parakeet questioned, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," phrased Mister Pig. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" realized Miss Parakeet queerly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a bottle of water?"

"I can't stay," harangued Mister Pig. I just want to ask you what you think of the bullfrog that's come to the creek.

"I really don't know," wailed Miss Parakeet. "I didn't know about any bullfrog. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," groaned Mister Pig nonchalantly. "I heard that this bullfrog likes to enclose abacuses."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Pig, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the creek when we get a lot of bullfrogs enclosing abacuses?"

"I can't imagine," screeched Miss Parakeet.

"What are we going to do about it?" fumed Mister Pig.

"Appoint a committee?" announced Miss Parakeet, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Pig had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," burbled Miss Parakeet cleverly, 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 Pig uneasily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," drawled Miss Parakeet victoriously, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the rug on her front porch, looking out over the creek and adjusting the clock. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Pig. Do come again."

"Just a minute," laughed Mister Pig dolefully. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Parakeet sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied pitifully.