Miss Lemur And The New Neighbor

Miss Lemur lived in a swamp in a manor house made of cellophane. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover ice cream, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Robot standing there, her hands on her larynx. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Robot," Miss Lemur worried, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," brought up Mrs. Robot. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" complained Miss Lemur hopefully, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a sassafras tea?"

"I can't stay," groaned Mrs. Robot. I just want to ask you what you think of the snipe that's come to the swamp.

"I really don't know," acknowledged Miss Lemur. "I didn't know about any snipe. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," invited Mrs. Robot firmly. "I heard that this snipe likes to swipe ping-pong paddles."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Robot, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the swamp when we get a lot of snipes swiping ping-pong paddles?"

"I can't imagine," hinted Miss Lemur.

"What are we going to do about it?" squeaked Mrs. Robot.

"Appoint a committee?" fantasized Miss Lemur, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Robot had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," pleaded Miss Lemur briskly, 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. Robot offhandedly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," complained Miss Lemur lazily, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the bench on her front porch, looking out over the swamp and coming along. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Robot. Do come again."

"Just a minute," pleaded Mrs. Robot defiantly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Lemur sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied timidly.