Miss Parrot And The New Neighbor

Miss Parrot lived in a gully in a motel made of slate. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover hamburgers, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Anteater standing there, her hands on her thorax. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Anteater," Miss Parrot screamed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," hinted Mrs. Anteater. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" commented Miss Parrot softly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a chamomile tea?"

"I can't stay," opined Mrs. Anteater. I just want to ask you what you think of the brine shrimp that's come to the gully.

"I really don't know," announced Miss Parrot. "I didn't know about any brine shrimp. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," peeped Mrs. Anteater breathlessly. "I heard that this brine shrimp likes to crush rolls of duct tape."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Anteater, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the gully when we get a lot of brine shrimp crushing rolls of duct tape?"

"I can't imagine," spoke up Miss Parrot.

"What are we going to do about it?" screeched Mrs. Anteater.

"Appoint a committee?" chuckled Miss Parrot, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Anteater had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," interpreted Miss Parrot ignobly, 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. Anteater daintily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," fretted Miss Parrot threateningly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the bar stool on her front porch, looking out over the gully and meditating. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Anteater. Do come again."

"Just a minute," exploded Mrs. Anteater roughly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Parrot sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied tensely.