Miss Puppy And The New Neighbor

Miss Puppy lived in a dumpster in a boxcar made of seaweed. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover steak, 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 Mrs. Lynx standing there, her hands on her gall bladder. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Lynx," Miss Puppy groveled, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," conversed Mrs. Lynx. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" laughed Miss Puppy charmingly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cambric tea?"

"I can't stay," announced Mrs. Lynx. I just want to ask you what you think of the gopher that's come to the dumpster.

"I really don't know," spat Miss Puppy. "I didn't know about any gopher. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," debated Mrs. Lynx testily. "I heard that this gopher likes to package sponges."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Lynx, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the dumpster when we get a lot of gophers packaging sponges?"

"I can't imagine," grieved Miss Puppy.

"What are we going to do about it?" joked Mrs. Lynx.

"Appoint a committee?" simpered Miss Puppy, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Lynx had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," sneered Miss Puppy truculently, 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. Lynx awkwardly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," intoned Miss Puppy obediently, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the canopy bed on her front porch, looking out over the dumpster and jumping. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Lynx. Do come again."

"Just a minute," enunciated Mrs. Lynx stealthily. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Puppy sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied clumsily.