Mister Ghost And The New Neighbor

Mister Ghost lived on a mountaintop in a parsonage made of seashells. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover lobster, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Camel standing there, her hands on her chest. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Camel," Mister Ghost pleaded, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," expressed Mrs. Camel. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" declaimed Mister Ghost positively, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a bottle of rum?"

"I can't stay," lectured Mrs. Camel. I just want to ask you what you think of the hamster that's come to the mountaintop.

"I really don't know," muttered Mister Ghost. "I didn't know about any hamster. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," avowed Mrs. Camel irritably. "I heard that this hamster likes to squash Bunsen burners."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Camel, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the mountaintop when we get a lot of hamsters squashing Bunsen burners?"

"I can't imagine," intimated Mister Ghost.

"What are we going to do about it?" declaimed Mrs. Camel.

"Appoint a committee?" pronounced Mister Ghost, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Camel had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," provoked Mister Ghost dubiously, 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. Camel woefully. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," debated Mister Ghost dolefully, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the settee on his front porch, looking out over the mountaintop and vegetating. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Camel. Do come again."

"Just a minute," pleaded Mrs. Camel grandly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Mister Ghost thought he had answered, and was beginning to get repulsive. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mister Camel doing these days?"

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

Mister Ghost sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied excitedly.