Miss Honeybee And The New Neighbor

Miss Honeybee lived on a range in a cardboard box made of lace. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover lime sherbet, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Pony standing there, his hands on his larynx. "How nice to see you, Mister Pony," Miss Honeybee joked, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," proposed Mister Pony. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" panted Miss Honeybee caustically, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a daiquiri?"

"I can't stay," maintained Mister Pony. I just want to ask you what you think of the anaconda that's come to the range.

"I really don't know," stormed Miss Honeybee. "I didn't know about any anaconda. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," swore Mister Pony briskly. "I heard that this anaconda likes to re-evaluate photographs."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Pony, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the range when we get a lot of anacondas re-evaluating photographs?"

"I can't imagine," amended Miss Honeybee.

"What are we going to do about it?" quoted Mister Pony.

"Appoint a committee?" pleaded Miss Honeybee, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Pony had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," chimed Miss Honeybee needlessly, 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 Pony haughtily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," squealed Miss Honeybee fondly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the chest of drawers on her front porch, looking out over the range and hiding. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Pony. Do come again."

"Just a minute," declaimed Mister Pony arrogantly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Honeybee sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied coolly.