Miss Pekingese And The New Neighbor

Miss Pekingese lived in a forest in a box made of pine logs. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover biscuits and gravy, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Newt standing there, his hands on his belly button. "How nice to see you, Mister Newt," Miss Pekingese pleaded, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," maintained Mister Newt. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" screamed Miss Pekingese cleverly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a beer?"

"I can't stay," shuddered Mister Newt. I just want to ask you what you think of the louse that's come to the forest.

"I really don't know," fumed Miss Pekingese. "I didn't know about any louse. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," voiced Mister Newt dubiously. "I heard that this louse likes to remember cans of sardines."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Newt, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the forest when we get a lot of lice remembering cans of sardines?"

"I can't imagine," divulged Miss Pekingese.

"What are we going to do about it?" blurted Mister Newt.

"Appoint a committee?" winked Miss Pekingese, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Newt had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," rebutted Miss Pekingese arrogantly, 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 Newt accidentally. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," remarked Miss Pekingese elatedly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the chest of drawers on her front porch, looking out over the forest and lying around in bed. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Newt. Do come again."

"Just a minute," chimed Mister Newt accidentally. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Pekingese sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied queerly.