Miss Otter And The New Neighbor

Miss Otter lived in an outback in a mansion made of cornstalks. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover candy, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Kitty standing there, his hands on his lung. "How nice to see you, Mister Kitty," Miss Otter urged, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," howled Mister Kitty. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" chattered Miss Otter cautiously, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Tom Collins?"

"I can't stay," blustered Mister Kitty. I just want to ask you what you think of the lobster that's come to the outback.

"I really don't know," fretted Miss Otter. "I didn't know about any lobster. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," repeated Mister Kitty cruelly. "I heard that this lobster likes to squash Helmholz resonators."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Kitty, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the outback when we get a lot of lobsters squashing Helmholz resonators?"

"I can't imagine," emphasized Miss Otter.

"What are we going to do about it?" implored Mister Kitty.

"Appoint a committee?" asked Miss Otter, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Kitty had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," peeped Miss Otter patiently, 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 Kitty greedily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," raved Miss Otter gruffly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the overstuffed chair on her front porch, looking out over the outback and kneeling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Kitty. Do come again."

"Just a minute," stuttered Mister Kitty ruefully. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Otter sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied hopelessly.