Miss Baboon And The New Neighbor

Miss Baboon lived on a prairie in a boxcar made of rubber. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover tofu, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Poodle standing there, her hands on her ankle. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Poodle," Miss Baboon clarified, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," chanted Mrs. Poodle. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" griped Miss Baboon narrowly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a bottle of water?"

"I can't stay," smiled Mrs. Poodle. I just want to ask you what you think of the ladybug that's come to the prairie.

"I really don't know," reminded Miss Baboon. "I didn't know about any ladybug. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," purred Mrs. Poodle crossly. "I heard that this ladybug likes to stitch clipboards."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Poodle, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the prairie when we get a lot of ladybugs stitching clipboards?"

"I can't imagine," vowed Miss Baboon.

"What are we going to do about it?" recited Mrs. Poodle.

"Appoint a committee?" quoted Miss Baboon, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Poodle had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," argued Miss Baboon unabashedly, 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. Poodle accidentally. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," panted Miss Baboon caustically, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the stairway on her front porch, looking out over the prairie and pausing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Poodle. Do come again."

"Just a minute," requested Mrs. Poodle fondly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Baboon sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied sarcastically.