Miss Basset Hound And The New Neighbor

Miss Basset hound lived on a ridge in a ranch house made of brick. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover burritos, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Bunny standing there, her hands on her tooth. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Bunny," Miss Basset hound asserted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," snarled Mrs. Bunny. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" asserted Miss Basset hound quickly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of apricot juice?"

"I can't stay," wept Mrs. Bunny. I just want to ask you what you think of the walrus that's come to the ridge.

"I really don't know," screeched Miss Basset hound. "I didn't know about any walrus. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," muttered Mrs. Bunny temperamentally. "I heard that this walrus likes to cut rocks."

"Um, I don't know what to say," drawled Miss Basset hound, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mrs. Bunny, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the ridge when we get a lot of walruses cutting rocks?"

"I can't imagine," hissed Miss Basset hound.

"What are we going to do about it?" argued Mrs. Bunny.

"Appoint a committee?" sniped Miss Basset hound, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Bunny had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," contended Miss Basset hound perkily, 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. Bunny nimbly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," stormed Miss Basset hound boisterously, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the bathtub on her front porch, looking out over the ridge and nodding off. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Bunny. Do come again."

"Just a minute," observed Mrs. Bunny peevishly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Basset hound sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied timidly.