Miss Cockatiel And The New Neighbor

Miss Cockatiel lived on a grassy knoll in a wigwam made of burlap. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover dirty rice, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

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

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" muttered Miss Cockatiel delicately, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cup of eggnog?"

"I can't stay," demanded Mister Bull. I just want to ask you what you think of the canary that's come to the grassy knoll.

"I really don't know," responded Miss Cockatiel. "I didn't know about any canary. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," railed Mister Bull ignobly. "I heard that this canary likes to toss buckets."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Bull, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the grassy knoll when we get a lot of canaries tossing buckets?"

"I can't imagine," blubbered Miss Cockatiel.

"What are we going to do about it?" lectured Mister Bull.

"Appoint a committee?" commented Miss Cockatiel, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Bull had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," shouted Miss Cockatiel unexpectedly, 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 Bull noisily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," maintained Miss Cockatiel woefully, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the filing cabinet on her front porch, looking out over the grassy knoll and chortling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Bull. Do come again."

"Just a minute," vowed Mister Bull grudgingly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Cockatiel sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied brashly.