Miss Monkey And The New Neighbor

Miss Monkey lived on a prairie in a farmhouse made of limestone. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover refried beans, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Hippopotamus standing there, her hands on her aorta. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Hippopotamus," Miss Monkey accused, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," scoffed Mrs. Hippopotamus. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" remarked Miss Monkey automatically, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of papaya juice?"

"I can't stay," orated Mrs. Hippopotamus. I just want to ask you what you think of the hedgehog that's come to the prairie.

"I really don't know," sniffed Miss Monkey. "I didn't know about any hedgehog. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," purred Mrs. Hippopotamus ruefully. "I heard that this hedgehog likes to whack baseballs."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Hippopotamus, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the prairie when we get a lot of hedgehogs whacking baseballs?"

"I can't imagine," responded Miss Monkey.

"What are we going to do about it?" provoked Mrs. Hippopotamus.

"Appoint a committee?" complained Miss Monkey, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Hippopotamus had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," declared Miss Monkey cruelly, 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 Mrs. Hippopotamus sadly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," nattered Miss Monkey delicately, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the toilet on her front porch, looking out over the prairie and growling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Hippopotamus. Do come again."

"Just a minute," wondered Mrs. Hippopotamus grandly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Monkey sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied offhandedly.