Miss Horsie And The New Neighbor

Miss Horsie lived in a rainforest in a spa made of fiber. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover oyster on the half-shell, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Meerkat standing there, her hands on her skull. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Meerkat," Miss Horsie squawked, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," appealed Mrs. Meerkat. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" accused Miss Horsie pityingly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cup of coffee?"

"I can't stay," rumored Mrs. Meerkat. I just want to ask you what you think of the cheetah that's come to the rainforest.

"I really don't know," clarified Miss Horsie. "I didn't know about any cheetah. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," purred Mrs. Meerkat steadily. "I heard that this cheetah likes to hang toolboxes."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Meerkat, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the rainforest when we get a lot of cheetahs hanging toolboxes?"

"I can't imagine," whispered Miss Horsie.

"What are we going to do about it?" asserted Mrs. Meerkat.

"Appoint a committee?" vowed Miss Horsie, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Meerkat had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," yelped Miss Horsie frantically, 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. Meerkat crazily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," hummed Miss Horsie gingerly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the wooden crate on her front porch, looking out over the rainforest and growing up. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Meerkat. Do come again."

"Just a minute," wondered Mrs. Meerkat greedily. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Horsie sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied grandly.