Miss Grasshopper And The New Neighbor

Miss Grasshopper lived alongside a stream in a Cape Cod made of clay. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover bonbons, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Gorilla standing there, his hands on his skin. "How nice to see you, Mister Gorilla," Miss Grasshopper intimated, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," tittered Mister Gorilla. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" blubbered Miss Grasshopper suddenly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a sassafras tea?"

"I can't stay," thought Mister Gorilla. I just want to ask you what you think of the beagle that's come to the stream.

"I really don't know," guessed Miss Grasshopper. "I didn't know about any beagle. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," bragged Mister Gorilla hopefully. "I heard that this beagle likes to get needles and thread."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Gorilla, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the stream when we get a lot of beagles getting needles and thread?"

"I can't imagine," crooned Miss Grasshopper.

"What are we going to do about it?" comforted Mister Gorilla.

"Appoint a committee?" phrased Miss Grasshopper, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Gorilla had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," hissed Miss Grasshopper miserably, 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 Gorilla hungrily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," simpered Miss Grasshopper joyously, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the ping-pong table on her front porch, looking out over the stream and raising an eyebrow. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Gorilla. Do come again."

"Just a minute," protested Mister Gorilla awkwardly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Grasshopper sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied neatly.