Miss Puma And The New Neighbor

Miss Puma lived on a butte in a duplex made of adobe. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover hamburgers, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Llama standing there, her hands on her mouth. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Llama," Miss Puma conversed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," chattered Mrs. Llama. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" chimed Miss Puma fiercely, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you an Irish Coffee?"

"I can't stay," brought up Mrs. Llama. I just want to ask you what you think of the lizard that's come to the butte.

"I really don't know," shouted Miss Puma. "I didn't know about any lizard. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," enunciated Mrs. Llama clumsily. "I heard that this lizard likes to monitor accordions."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Llama, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the butte when we get a lot of lizards monitoring accordions?"

"I can't imagine," declaimed Miss Puma.

"What are we going to do about it?" piped up Mrs. Llama.

"Appoint a committee?" bellowed Miss Puma, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Llama had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," boomed Miss Puma surreptitiously, 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. Llama fearlessly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," disputed Miss Puma carelessly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the cushion on her front porch, looking out over the butte and giggling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Llama. Do come again."

"Just a minute," agreed Mrs. Llama gently. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Puma sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied valiantly.