Miss Giraffe And The New Neighbor

Miss Giraffe lived beside a creek in a yurt made of leaves and twigs. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover cherries jubilee, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Gnu standing there, her hands on her tail. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Gnu," Miss Giraffe acknowledged, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," revealed Mrs. Gnu. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" raved Miss Giraffe numbly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of iced tea?"

"I can't stay," smiled Mrs. Gnu. I just want to ask you what you think of the oyster that's come to the creek.

"I really don't know," roared Miss Giraffe. "I didn't know about any oyster. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," phrased Mrs. Gnu strangely. "I heard that this oyster likes to burn Frisbees."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Gnu, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the creek when we get a lot of oysters burning Frisbees?"

"I can't imagine," ranted Miss Giraffe.

"What are we going to do about it?" phrased Mrs. Gnu.

"Appoint a committee?" peeped Miss Giraffe, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Gnu had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," wept Miss Giraffe coolly, 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. Gnu kindly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," worried Miss Giraffe accidentally, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the dining table on her front porch, looking out over the creek and freezing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Gnu. Do come again."

"Just a minute," repeated Mrs. Gnu needlessly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Giraffe sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied busily.