Miss Kitty And The New Neighbor

Miss Kitty lived in a bog in a loft made of felt. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover falafel, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Duck standing there, his hands on his knee. "How nice to see you, Mister Duck," Miss Kitty professed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," wept Mister Duck. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" brought up Miss Kitty steadily, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a tequila sunrise?"

"I can't stay," offered Mister Duck. I just want to ask you what you think of the bunny that's come to the bog.

"I really don't know," opined Miss Kitty. "I didn't know about any bunny. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," debated Mister Duck woodenly. "I heard that this bunny likes to harden fishhooks."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Duck, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the bog when we get a lot of bunnies hardening fishhooks?"

"I can't imagine," spewed Miss Kitty.

"What are we going to do about it?" observed Mister Duck.

"Appoint a committee?" affirmed Miss Kitty, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Duck had in mind.

"That's exactly right," said Mister Duck pitifully. "A committee to study the problem."

"Well that's a fine idea," harangued Miss Kitty patiently, 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 Mister Duck nimbly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," snarled Miss Kitty grudgingly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the table on her front porch, looking out over the bog and doing nothing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Duck. Do come again."

"Just a minute," repeated Mister Duck unexpectedly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Kitty sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied gently.