Miss Mosquito And The New Neighbor

Miss Mosquito lived in a hayfield in a Spanish colonial made of Elmer's glue. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover mulligan stew, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Puppy standing there, her hands on her aorta. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Puppy," Miss Mosquito rationalized, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," jeered Mrs. Puppy. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" crooned Miss Mosquito pityingly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a grape soda?"

"I can't stay," inquired Mrs. Puppy. I just want to ask you what you think of the monster that's come to the hayfield.

"I really don't know," boomed Miss Mosquito. "I didn't know about any monster. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," yowled Mrs. Puppy unnaturally. "I heard that this monster likes to understand Hostess Ding Dongs."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Puppy, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the hayfield when we get a lot of monsters understanding Hostess Ding Dongs?"

"I can't imagine," chimed Miss Mosquito.

"What are we going to do about it?" jeered Mrs. Puppy.

"Appoint a committee?" retorted Miss Mosquito, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Puppy had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," conversed Miss Mosquito carefully, 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. Puppy thankfully. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," wondered Miss Mosquito irritably, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the sofa on her front porch, looking out over the hayfield and vomiting. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Puppy. Do come again."

"Just a minute," smiled Mrs. Puppy positively. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Mosquito sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied calmly.