Miss Gecko And The New Neighbor

Miss Gecko lived in a gully in an A-frame made of ceramic. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover clam chowder, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Jellyfish standing there, his hands on his hairdo. "How nice to see you, Mister Jellyfish," Miss Gecko enunciated, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," railed Mister Jellyfish. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" gabbed Miss Gecko gleefully, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a bottle of rum?"

"I can't stay," provoked Mister Jellyfish. I just want to ask you what you think of the koala that's come to the gully.

"I really don't know," sobbed Miss Gecko. "I didn't know about any koala. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," emphasized Mister Jellyfish nervously. "I heard that this koala likes to copy buckets."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Jellyfish, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the gully when we get a lot of koalas copying buckets?"

"I can't imagine," stuttered Miss Gecko.

"What are we going to do about it?" added Mister Jellyfish.

"Appoint a committee?" maintained Miss Gecko, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Jellyfish had in mind.

"That's exactly right," said Mister Jellyfish recklessly. "A committee to study the problem."

"Well that's a fine idea," revealed Miss Gecko temperamentally, 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 Mister Jellyfish crazily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," burbled Miss Gecko frenetically, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the chest of drawers on her front porch, looking out over the gully and sniffling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Jellyfish. Do come again."

"Just a minute," pointed out Mister Jellyfish bravely. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Gecko sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied brashly.