Miss Peacock And The New Neighbor

Miss Peacock lived on a path in a duplex made of pillows. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover fried chicken, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Dingo standing there, her hands on her thyroid gland. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Dingo," Miss Peacock babbled, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," mentioned Mrs. Dingo. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" joked Miss Peacock lazily, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a hot buttered rum?"

"I can't stay," articulated Mrs. Dingo. I just want to ask you what you think of the eagle that's come to the path.

"I really don't know," comforted Miss Peacock. "I didn't know about any eagle. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," bawled Mrs. Dingo deliberately. "I heard that this eagle likes to dust telephones."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Dingo, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the path when we get a lot of eagles dusting telephones?"

"I can't imagine," roared Miss Peacock.

"What are we going to do about it?" responded Mrs. Dingo.

"Appoint a committee?" invited Miss Peacock, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Dingo had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," invited Miss Peacock again, 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. Dingo sternly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," provoked Miss Peacock noisily, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the cushion on her front porch, looking out over the path and rolling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Dingo. Do come again."

"Just a minute," professed Mrs. Dingo blissfully. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Peacock sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied queerly.