Mister Crow And The New Neighbor

Mister Crow lived in a glen in a flat made of seaweed. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover applesauce, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Duck standing there, her hands on her lung. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Duck," Mister Crow persisted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," rumored Mrs. Duck. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" piped up Mister Crow breathlessly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a shot of tequila?"

"I can't stay," sniped Mrs. Duck. I just want to ask you what you think of the snipe that's come to the glen.

"I really don't know," snorted Mister Crow. "I didn't know about any snipe. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," snarled Mrs. Duck sorrowfully. "I heard that this snipe likes to engrave toolboxes."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Duck, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the glen when we get a lot of snipes engraving toolboxes?"

"I can't imagine," bragged Mister Crow.

"What are we going to do about it?" sighed Mrs. Duck.

"Appoint a committee?" sputtered Mister Crow, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Duck had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," hissed Mister Crow confidently, 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 Mrs. Duck courageously. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," urged Mister Crow angrily, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the washstand on his front porch, looking out over the glen and sighing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Duck. Do come again."

"Just a minute," asked Mrs. Duck solemnly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Mister Crow 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 Mister Duck doing these days?"

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

Mister Crow sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied numbly.