Miss Troll And The New Neighbor

Miss Troll lived in a swamp in a sod house made of chewing gum. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover ham, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Hyena standing there, his hands on his tail. "How nice to see you, Mister Hyena," Miss Troll boasted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," implored Mister Hyena. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" guessed Miss Troll bitterly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a shot of whiskey?"

"I can't stay," stuttered Mister Hyena. I just want to ask you what you think of the goat that's come to the swamp.

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

"Well don't be so sure," howled Mister Hyena smoothly. "I heard that this goat likes to switch pairs of fuzzy dice."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Hyena, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the swamp when we get a lot of goats switching pairs of fuzzy dice?"

"I can't imagine," intoned Miss Troll.

"What are we going to do about it?" wondered Mister Hyena.

"Appoint a committee?" said Miss Troll, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Hyena had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," declared Miss Troll frantically, 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 Hyena viciously. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," suggested Miss Troll tenderly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the bookshelf on her front porch, looking out over the swamp and sighing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Hyena. Do come again."

"Just a minute," asked Mister Hyena anxiously. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Troll sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied grandly.