Miss Hermit Crab And The New Neighbor

Miss Hermit crab lived in a lagoon in a chapel made of linoleum. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover jambalaya, 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 Yeti standing there, his hands on his Adam's apple. "How nice to see you, Mister Yeti," Miss Hermit crab trumpeted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," fantasized Mister Yeti. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" yammered Miss Hermit crab fondly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Long Island iced tea?"

"I can't stay," interrupted Mister Yeti. I just want to ask you what you think of the German Shepherd that's come to the lagoon.

"I really don't know," barked Miss Hermit crab. "I didn't know about any German Shepherd. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," shrieked Mister Yeti joyously. "I heard that this German Shepherd likes to bend flutes."

"Um, I don't know what to say," commented Miss Hermit crab, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mister Yeti, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the lagoon when we get a lot of German Shepherds bending flutes?"

"I can't imagine," bragged Miss Hermit crab.

"What are we going to do about it?" blathered Mister Yeti.

"Appoint a committee?" peeped Miss Hermit crab, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Yeti had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," argued Miss Hermit crab perkily, 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 Yeti viciously. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," stammered Miss Hermit crab gruffly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the ottoman on her front porch, looking out over the lagoon and coming back. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Yeti. Do come again."

"Just a minute," hinted Mister Yeti urgently. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Hermit crab sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied sympathetically.