Miss Mouse And The New Neighbor

Miss Mouse lived in a briar patch in a Victorian mansion made of polystyrene. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover banana split, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

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

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" bellowed Miss Mouse bitterly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cambric tea?"

"I can't stay," cackled Mrs. Caribou. I just want to ask you what you think of the orangutan that's come to the briar patch.

"I really don't know," indicated Miss Mouse. "I didn't know about any orangutan. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," sniveled Mrs. Caribou positively. "I heard that this orangutan likes to jump on Egyptian mummies."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Caribou, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the briar patch when we get a lot of orangutans jumping on Egyptian mummies?"

"I can't imagine," urged Miss Mouse.

"What are we going to do about it?" alleged Mrs. Caribou.

"Appoint a committee?" yawned Miss Mouse, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Caribou had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," piped up Miss Mouse rapidly, 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. Caribou curiously. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," alleged Miss Mouse miserably, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the stairway on her front porch, looking out over the briar patch and thinking. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Caribou. Do come again."

"Just a minute," yelped Mrs. Caribou greedily. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Mouse sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied fervently.