Mister Kangaroo And The New Neighbor

Mister Kangaroo lived on a butte in a church made of duct tape. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover duck a l'orange, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Otter standing there, her hands on her eyelid. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Otter," Mister Kangaroo bragged, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," hinted Mrs. Otter. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" brought up Mister Kangaroo automatically, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a margarita?"

"I can't stay," reasoned Mrs. Otter. I just want to ask you what you think of the coyote that's come to the butte.

"I really don't know," gabbed Mister Kangaroo. "I didn't know about any coyote. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," spouted Mrs. Otter intensely. "I heard that this coyote likes to whack spools of thread."

"Um, I don't know what to say," laughed Mister Kangaroo, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mrs. Otter, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the butte when we get a lot of coyotes whacking spools of thread?"

"I can't imagine," bawled Mister Kangaroo.

"What are we going to do about it?" fretted Mrs. Otter.

"Appoint a committee?" voiced Mister Kangaroo, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Otter had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," blurted Mister Kangaroo zestily, who wanted to bring the conversation to a close quickly, without finding himself on this committee.

"I'd like for you to be on the committee," said Mrs. Otter warily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," appealed Mister Kangaroo unabashedly, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the pool table on his front porch, looking out over the butte and shrugging. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Otter. Do come again."

"Just a minute," proposed Mrs. Otter intensely. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Mister Kangaroo thought he had answered, and was beginning to get fuzzy. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mister Otter doing these days?"

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

Mister Kangaroo sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied sympathetically.