Miss Snipe And The New Neighbor

Miss Snipe lived in a park in a log cabin made of gold bricks. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover cookies, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Goblin standing there, her hands on her face. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Goblin," Miss Snipe acknowledged, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," declared Mrs. Goblin. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" swore Miss Snipe grandly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of milk?"

"I can't stay," bellowed Mrs. Goblin. I just want to ask you what you think of the monster that's come to the park.

"I really don't know," stuttered Miss Snipe. "I didn't know about any monster. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," indicated Mrs. Goblin briskly. "I heard that this monster likes to expose diamonds."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Goblin, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the park when we get a lot of monsters exposing diamonds?"

"I can't imagine," taunted Miss Snipe.

"What are we going to do about it?" wondered Mrs. Goblin.

"Appoint a committee?" questioned Miss Snipe, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Goblin had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," sniffed Miss Snipe 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. Goblin stealthily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," babbled Miss Snipe accidentally, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the dining table on her front porch, looking out over the park and carrying on. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Goblin. Do come again."

"Just a minute," chimed Mrs. Goblin hungrily. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Snipe sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied sorrowfully.