Miss Horsie And The New Neighbor

Miss Horsie lived on a mountainside in a resort made of posts and beams. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover corn on the cob, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Mink standing there, her hands on her neck. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Mink," Miss Horsie gabbed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," concluded Mrs. Mink. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" provoked Miss Horsie fearfully, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Pepto Bismol?"

"I can't stay," spewed Mrs. Mink. I just want to ask you what you think of the deer that's come to the mountainside.

"I really don't know," vouched Miss Horsie. "I didn't know about any deer. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," panted Mrs. Mink zestily. "I heard that this deer likes to demolish balls."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Mink, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the mountainside when we get a lot of deer demolishing balls?"

"I can't imagine," offered Miss Horsie.

"What are we going to do about it?" screamed Mrs. Mink.

"Appoint a committee?" sobbed Miss Horsie, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Mink had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," hummed Miss Horsie slowly, 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. Mink cleverly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," suggested Miss Horsie frenetically, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the hamper on her front porch, looking out over the mountainside and moaning. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Mink. Do come again."

"Just a minute," whispered Mrs. Mink cruelly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Horsie sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied sourly.