Miss Hamster And The New Neighbor

Miss Hamster lived on a prairie in a studio made of tempered glass. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover corn on the cob, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Raven standing there, his hands on his paw. "How nice to see you, Mister Raven," Miss Hamster explained, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," sniped Mister Raven. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" cried Miss Hamster fearlessly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a latte?"

"I can't stay," voiced Mister Raven. I just want to ask you what you think of the owl that's come to the prairie.

"I really don't know," growled Miss Hamster. "I didn't know about any owl. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," groaned Mister Raven courteously. "I heard that this owl likes to analyze bullets."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Raven, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the prairie when we get a lot of owls analyzing bullets?"

"I can't imagine," questioned Miss Hamster.

"What are we going to do about it?" smirked Mister Raven.

"Appoint a committee?" squawked Miss Hamster, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Raven had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," intoned Miss Hamster dolefully, 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 Raven speedily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," bellowed Miss Hamster happily, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the four-poster bed on her front porch, looking out over the prairie and trembling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Raven. Do come again."

"Just a minute," whispered Mister Raven sourly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Hamster sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied woodenly.