Miss Penguin And The New Neighbor

Miss Penguin lived on a ridge in a chalet made of silk. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover egg salad sandwich, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Eel standing there, her hands on her knee. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Eel," Miss Penguin squealed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," asked Mrs. Eel. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" wondered Miss Penguin courageously, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a V8?"

"I can't stay," contended Mrs. Eel. I just want to ask you what you think of the pheasant that's come to the ridge.

"I really don't know," called Miss Penguin. "I didn't know about any pheasant. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," ranted Mrs. Eel courageously. "I heard that this pheasant likes to burn boxes of candy."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Eel, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the ridge when we get a lot of pheasants burning boxes of candy?"

"I can't imagine," raved Miss Penguin.

"What are we going to do about it?" bragged Mrs. Eel.

"Appoint a committee?" proposed Miss Penguin, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Eel had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," divulged Miss Penguin grudgingly, 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. Eel timidly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," griped Miss Penguin blissfully, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the beanbag chair on her front porch, looking out over the ridge and ruminating. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Eel. Do come again."

"Just a minute," chuckled Mrs. Eel arrogantly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Penguin sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied bitterly.