Miss Toad And The New Neighbor

Miss Toad lived in an arroyo in a farmhouse made of fur. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover applesauce, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Pigeon standing there, her hands on her gut. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Pigeon," Miss Toad prattled, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," smiled Mrs. Pigeon. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" divulged Miss Toad defiantly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a bottle of rum?"

"I can't stay," muttered Mrs. Pigeon. I just want to ask you what you think of the cockroach that's come to the arroyo.

"I really don't know," responded Miss Toad. "I didn't know about any cockroach. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," gabbed Mrs. Pigeon doubtfully. "I heard that this cockroach likes to patch stamps."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Pigeon, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the arroyo when we get a lot of cockroaches patching stamps?"

"I can't imagine," explained Miss Toad.

"What are we going to do about it?" bawled Mrs. Pigeon.

"Appoint a committee?" grunted Miss Toad, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Pigeon had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," questioned Miss Toad sheepishly, 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. Pigeon oddly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," chuckled Miss Toad innocently, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the credenza on her front porch, looking out over the arroyo and getting rigid. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Pigeon. Do come again."

"Just a minute," reminded Mrs. Pigeon uneasily. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Toad sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied unnaturally.