Mister Quail And The New Neighbor

Mister Quail lived on a trail in a mud hut made of foam. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover banana split, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Crab standing there, her hands on her heart. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Crab," Mister Quail recited, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," sniped Mrs. Crab. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" conversed Mister Quail tearfully, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a piña colada?"

"I can't stay," rebutted Mrs. Crab. I just want to ask you what you think of the flamingo that's come to the trail.

"I really don't know," reacted Mister Quail. "I didn't know about any flamingo. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," grunted Mrs. Crab glumly. "I heard that this flamingo likes to wax baskets."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Crab, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the trail when we get a lot of flamingoes waxing baskets?"

"I can't imagine," analyzed Mister Quail.

"What are we going to do about it?" urged Mrs. Crab.

"Appoint a committee?" affirmed Mister Quail, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Crab had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," queried Mister Quail impatiently, 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. Crab cunningly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," agreed Mister Quail primly, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the windowsill on his front porch, looking out over the trail and looking dumb. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Crab. Do come again."

"Just a minute," barked Mrs. Crab kindly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Quail sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied frenetically.