Miss Meerkat And The New Neighbor

Miss Meerkat lived in an arroyo in a villa made of wattle and daub. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover cotton candy, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Dragon standing there, his hands on his buttocks. "How nice to see you, Mister Dragon," Miss Meerkat smiled, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," panted Mister Dragon. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" murmured Miss Meerkat sadly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a secret potion?"

"I can't stay," purred Mister Dragon. I just want to ask you what you think of the snipe that's come to the arroyo.

"I really don't know," interrupted Miss Meerkat. "I didn't know about any snipe. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," purred Mister Dragon accidentally. "I heard that this snipe likes to wallop pairs of headphones."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Dragon, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the arroyo when we get a lot of snipes walloping pairs of headphones?"

"I can't imagine," piped up Miss Meerkat.

"What are we going to do about it?" smiled Mister Dragon.

"Appoint a committee?" mouthed Miss Meerkat, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Dragon had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," sneered Miss Meerkat cruelly, 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 Dragon flightily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," persisted Miss Meerkat cruelly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the file cabinet on her front porch, looking out over the arroyo and coughing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Dragon. Do come again."

"Just a minute," chanted Mister Dragon gently. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Meerkat sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied truculently.