Miss Flamingo And The New Neighbor

Miss Flamingo lived on a plateau in a yurt made of concrete. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover squash blossom soup, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Ladybug standing there, her hands on her hip. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Ladybug," Miss Flamingo affirmed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," harangued Mrs. Ladybug. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" rumored Miss Flamingo noisily, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Sangría?"

"I can't stay," decided Mrs. Ladybug. I just want to ask you what you think of the wolf that's come to the plateau.

"I really don't know," rationalized Miss Flamingo. "I didn't know about any wolf. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," remarked Mrs. Ladybug ingeniously. "I heard that this wolf likes to blame Big Gulps."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Ladybug, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the plateau when we get a lot of wolves blaming Big Gulps?"

"I can't imagine," warbled Miss Flamingo.

"What are we going to do about it?" rationalized Mrs. Ladybug.

"Appoint a committee?" bellowed Miss Flamingo, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Ladybug had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," mouthed Miss Flamingo thankfully, 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. Ladybug repeatedly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," repeated Miss Flamingo obediently, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the bench on her front porch, looking out over the plateau and gazing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Ladybug. Do come again."

"Just a minute," reacted Mrs. Ladybug crossly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Flamingo sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied recklessly.