Miss Coyote And The New Neighbor

Miss Coyote lived in a circus tent in a duplex made of jewels. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover chicken pot pie, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Goldfish standing there, his hands on his rib. "How nice to see you, Mister Goldfish," Miss Coyote rambled, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," concluded Mister Goldfish. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" informed Miss Coyote impatiently, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a sarsaparilla?"

"I can't stay," intoned Mister Goldfish. I just want to ask you what you think of the lamb that's come to the circus tent.

"I really don't know," cried Miss Coyote. "I didn't know about any lamb. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," interrupted Mister Goldfish deliberately. "I heard that this lamb likes to stabilize Frisbees."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Goldfish, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the circus tent when we get a lot of lambs stabilizing Frisbees?"

"I can't imagine," sniveled Miss Coyote.

"What are we going to do about it?" persisted Mister Goldfish.

"Appoint a committee?" blathered Miss Coyote, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Goldfish had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," sobbed Miss Coyote menacingly, 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 Goldfish admiringly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," lamented Miss Coyote suavely, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the four-poster bed on her front porch, looking out over the circus tent and sneering. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Goldfish. Do come again."

"Just a minute," screamed Mister Goldfish again. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Coyote sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied merrily.