Mister Bear And The New Neighbor

Mister Bear lived in a gulch in a Victorian mansion made of granite. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover dirty rice, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mister Newt standing there, his hands on his tummy. "How nice to see you, Mister Newt," Mister Bear whispered, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," answered Mister Newt. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" piped up Mister Bear unexpectedly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a can of Ensure?"

"I can't stay," recited Mister Newt. I just want to ask you what you think of the opossum that's come to the gulch.

"I really don't know," nattered Mister Bear. "I didn't know about any opossum. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," protested Mister Newt properly. "I heard that this opossum likes to mend playing cards."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Newt, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the gulch when we get a lot of opossums mending playing cards?"

"I can't imagine," quoted Mister Bear.

"What are we going to do about it?" sobbed Mister Newt.

"Appoint a committee?" groaned Mister Bear, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Newt had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," smiled Mister Bear elatedly, 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 Mister Newt cautiously. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," begged Mister Bear frenetically, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the china cabinet on his front porch, looking out over the gulch and dreaming. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Newt. Do come again."

"Just a minute," acknowledged Mister Newt rapidly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Bear sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied sheepishly.