Miss Mole And The New Neighbor

Miss Mole lived in a jungle in a retreat made of sugar. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover candy, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Panda standing there, her hands on her nostril. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Panda," Miss Mole bragged, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," maintained Mrs. Panda. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" suggested Miss Mole victoriously, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a bottle of rum?"

"I can't stay," intimated Mrs. Panda. I just want to ask you what you think of the bat that's come to the jungle.

"I really don't know," raved Miss Mole. "I didn't know about any bat. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," accused Mrs. Panda flightily. "I heard that this bat likes to propel flutes."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Panda, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the jungle when we get a lot of bats propelling flutes?"

"I can't imagine," realized Miss Mole.

"What are we going to do about it?" requested Mrs. Panda.

"Appoint a committee?" railed Miss Mole, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Panda had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," murmured Miss Mole curiously, 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. Panda nonchalantly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," mouthed Miss Mole unabashedly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the washstand on her front porch, looking out over the jungle and huffing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Panda. Do come again."

"Just a minute," rebutted Mrs. Panda dolorously. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Mole sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied offhandedly.