Miss Dromedary And The New Neighbor

Miss Dromedary lived in a pond in a church made of garbage. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover lamb curry, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Chicken standing there, her hands on her Achilles tendon. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Chicken," Miss Dromedary continued, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," grunted Mrs. Chicken. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" wept Miss Dromedary grudgingly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a gin sour?"

"I can't stay," intimated Mrs. Chicken. I just want to ask you what you think of the bear that's come to the pond.

"I really don't know," exploded Miss Dromedary. "I didn't know about any bear. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," pleaded Mrs. Chicken fearfully. "I heard that this bear likes to brush Hostess Ding Dongs."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Chicken, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the pond when we get a lot of bears brushing Hostess Ding Dongs?"

"I can't imagine," blurted Miss Dromedary.

"What are we going to do about it?" exclaimed Mrs. Chicken.

"Appoint a committee?" acknowledged Miss Dromedary, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Chicken had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," avowed Miss Dromedary innocently, 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. Chicken cunningly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," wailed Miss Dromedary repeatedly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the sofa on her front porch, looking out over the pond and primping. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Chicken. Do come again."

"Just a minute," queried Mrs. Chicken violently. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Dromedary sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied cleverly.