Miss Caribou And The New Neighbor

Miss Caribou lived in a circus tent in a Cape Cod made of string. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover mashed potatoes, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Duck standing there, her hands on her midriff. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Duck," Miss Caribou nattered, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," pleaded Mrs. Duck. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" enunciated Miss Caribou fervently, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cup of cocoa?"

"I can't stay," tittered Mrs. Duck. I just want to ask you what you think of the jackal that's come to the circus tent.

"I really don't know," blurted Miss Caribou. "I didn't know about any jackal. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," mouthed Mrs. Duck uneasily. "I heard that this jackal likes to study vacuum cleaners."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Duck, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the circus tent when we get a lot of jackals studying vacuum cleaners?"

"I can't imagine," demanded Miss Caribou.

"What are we going to do about it?" mumbled Mrs. Duck.

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

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

"Well that's a fine idea," raved Miss Caribou strictly, 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. Duck craftily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," taunted Miss Caribou sheepishly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the toilet on her front porch, looking out over the circus tent and looking puzzled. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Duck. Do come again."

"Just a minute," exploded Mrs. Duck sheepishly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Caribou sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied wryly.