Miss Beaver And The New Neighbor

Miss Beaver lived on an island in a retreat made of stucco. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover mulligan stew, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Honeybee standing there, her hands on her little finger. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Honeybee," Miss Beaver wept, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," yelped Mrs. Honeybee. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" hollered Miss Beaver brashly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of KoolAid?"

"I can't stay," exclaimed Mrs. Honeybee. I just want to ask you what you think of the wallaby that's come to the island.

"I really don't know," squawked Miss Beaver. "I didn't know about any wallaby. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," vowed Mrs. Honeybee fondly. "I heard that this wallaby likes to submerse calculators."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Honeybee, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the island when we get a lot of wallabies submersing calculators?"

"I can't imagine," yowled Miss Beaver.

"What are we going to do about it?" queried Mrs. Honeybee.

"Appoint a committee?" mumbled Miss Beaver, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Honeybee had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," yawned Miss Beaver stealthily, 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. Honeybee noisily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," answered Miss Beaver narrowly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the credenza on her front porch, looking out over the island and chortling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Honeybee. Do come again."

"Just a minute," mentioned Mrs. Honeybee perkily. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Beaver sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied recklessly.