Mister Turtle And The New Neighbor

Mister Turtle lived in an arroyo in a townhouse made of steel. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover tofu, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Wolf standing there, her hands on her front tooth. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Wolf," Mister Turtle provoked, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," amended Mrs. Wolf. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" boasted Mister Turtle brightly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Mountain Dew?"

"I can't stay," fumed Mrs. Wolf. I just want to ask you what you think of the nightingale that's come to the arroyo.

"I really don't know," complained Mister Turtle. "I didn't know about any nightingale. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," sniped Mrs. Wolf patiently. "I heard that this nightingale likes to wrap spinning wheels."

"Um, I don't know what to say," sniffed Mister Turtle, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mrs. Wolf, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the arroyo when we get a lot of nightingales wrapping spinning wheels?"

"I can't imagine," snarled Mister Turtle.

"What are we going to do about it?" joked Mrs. Wolf.

"Appoint a committee?" declared Mister Turtle, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Wolf had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," brought up Mister Turtle pityingly, who wanted to bring the conversation to a close quickly, without finding himself on this committee.

"I'd like for you to be on the committee," said Mrs. Wolf deftly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," peeped Mister Turtle quickly, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the four-poster bed on his front porch, looking out over the arroyo and hiccuping. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Wolf. Do come again."

"Just a minute," yammered Mrs. Wolf sarcastically. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Mister Turtle thought he had answered, and was beginning to get solitary. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mister Wolf doing these days?"

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

Mister Turtle sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied crankily.