Miss Horse And The New Neighbor

Miss Horse lived in a treetop in an office made of starch. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover egg drop soup, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Giraffe standing there, his hands on his shin. "How nice to see you, Mister Giraffe," Miss Horse repeated, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," demanded Mister Giraffe. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" provoked Miss Horse proudly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cambric tea?"

"I can't stay," opined Mister Giraffe. I just want to ask you what you think of the peacock that's come to the treetop.

"I really don't know," quoted Miss Horse. "I didn't know about any peacock. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," cried Mister Giraffe awkwardly. "I heard that this peacock likes to pack floppy disks."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Giraffe, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the treetop when we get a lot of peacocks packing floppy disks?"

"I can't imagine," affirmed Miss Horse.

"What are we going to do about it?" comforted Mister Giraffe.

"Appoint a committee?" bragged Miss Horse, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Giraffe had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," protested Miss Horse innocently, 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 Giraffe viciously. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," emphasized Miss Horse blissfully, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the card table on her front porch, looking out over the treetop and going limp. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Giraffe. Do come again."

"Just a minute," smiled Mister Giraffe coolly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Horse sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied diligently.