Miss Hermit Crab And The New Neighbor

Miss Hermit crab lived on a trail in a ranch house made of enamel. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover chicken pot pie, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Robot standing there, his hands on his femur. "How nice to see you, Mister Robot," Miss Hermit crab wondered, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," maintained Mister Robot. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" revealed Miss Hermit crab sourly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of water?"

"I can't stay," wailed Mister Robot. I just want to ask you what you think of the tsetse fly that's come to the trail.

"I really don't know," wept Miss Hermit crab. "I didn't know about any tsetse fly. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," laughed Mister Robot ferociously. "I heard that this tsetse fly likes to distort piggy banks."

"Um, I don't know what to say," amended Miss Hermit crab, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mister Robot, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the trail when we get a lot of tsetse flies distorting piggy banks?"

"I can't imagine," panted Miss Hermit crab.

"What are we going to do about it?" revealed Mister Robot.

"Appoint a committee?" fantasized Miss Hermit crab, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Robot had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," crooned Miss Hermit crab briskly, 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 Robot dreamily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," squeaked Miss Hermit crab quietly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the chest of drawers on her front porch, looking out over the trail and yawning. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Robot. Do come again."

"Just a minute," wondered Mister Robot gently. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Hermit crab sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied anxiously.