Mister Antelope And The New Neighbor

Mister Antelope lived alongside a stream in a hotel made of palm leaves. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover corn on the cob, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Badger standing there, her hands on her kidney. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Badger," Mister Antelope asked, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," hummed Mrs. Badger. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" sniveled Mister Antelope sadly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a gimlet?"

"I can't stay," avowed Mrs. Badger. I just want to ask you what you think of the snake that's come to the stream.

"I really don't know," commented Mister Antelope. "I didn't know about any snake. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," blurted Mrs. Badger sorrowfully. "I heard that this snake likes to seal shoes."

"Um, I don't know what to say," preached Mister Antelope, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mrs. Badger, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the stream when we get a lot of snakes sealing shoes?"

"I can't imagine," intoned Mister Antelope.

"What are we going to do about it?" panted Mrs. Badger.

"Appoint a committee?" informed Mister Antelope, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Badger had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," scoffed Mister Antelope speedily, who wanted to bring the conversation to a close quickly, without finding himself on this committee.

"I'd like for you to be on the committee," said Mrs. Badger ferociously. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," whispered Mister Antelope carelessly, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the windowsill on his front porch, looking out over the stream and catching up. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Badger. Do come again."

"Just a minute," divulged Mrs. Badger craftily. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Mister Antelope thought he had answered, and was beginning to get tense. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mister Badger doing these days?"

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

Mister Antelope sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied bitterly.