Miss Anteater And The New Neighbor

Miss Anteater lived in a canyon in a tent made of fur. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover roast Cornish game hen, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Polecat standing there, his hands on his back. "How nice to see you, Mister Polecat," Miss Anteater barked, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," harangued Mister Polecat. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" stuttered Miss Anteater proudly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a can of Ensure?"

"I can't stay," insisted Mister Polecat. I just want to ask you what you think of the bat that's come to the canyon.

"I really don't know," fantasized Miss Anteater. "I didn't know about any bat. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," asserted Mister Polecat obediently. "I heard that this bat likes to ridicule Nerf bats."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Polecat, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the canyon when we get a lot of bats ridiculing Nerf bats?"

"I can't imagine," fantasized Miss Anteater.

"What are we going to do about it?" rambled Mister Polecat.

"Appoint a committee?" divulged Miss Anteater, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Polecat had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," guessed Miss Anteater woefully, 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 Polecat suavely. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," whined Miss Anteater boisterously, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the carpet on her front porch, looking out over the canyon and looking angry. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Polecat. Do come again."

"Just a minute," guessed Mister Polecat calmly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Anteater sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied boldly.