Miss Turtle And The New Neighbor

Miss Turtle lived at a dump in a KOA Kampground made of stainless steel. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover hamburgers, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Chicken standing there, her hands on her chin. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Chicken," Miss Turtle acknowledged, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," questioned Mrs. Chicken. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" shrieked Miss Turtle narrowly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of apricot juice?"

"I can't stay," snorted Mrs. Chicken. I just want to ask you what you think of the iguana that's come to the dump.

"I really don't know," cajoled Miss Turtle. "I didn't know about any iguana. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," squawked Mrs. Chicken blissfully. "I heard that this iguana likes to whack fishing rods."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Chicken, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the dump when we get a lot of iguanas whacking fishing rods?"

"I can't imagine," inquired Miss Turtle.

"What are we going to do about it?" observed Mrs. Chicken.

"Appoint a committee?" stammered Miss Turtle, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Chicken had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," nattered Miss Turtle kindly, 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. Chicken steadily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," purred Miss Turtle delicately, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the wooden crate on her front porch, looking out over the dump and huffing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Chicken. Do come again."

"Just a minute," chortled Mrs. Chicken tensely. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Turtle sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied demurely.