Mister Penguin And The New Neighbor

Mister Penguin lived in a buffalo wallow in a skyscraper made of drywall. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover chicken pot pie, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Goose standing there, her hands on her palm. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Goose," Mister Penguin scoffed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," continued Mrs. Goose. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" muttered Mister Penguin uneasily, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a chocolate milk?"

"I can't stay," chuckled Mrs. Goose. I just want to ask you what you think of the wolverine that's come to the buffalo wallow.

"I really don't know," guessed Mister Penguin. "I didn't know about any wolverine. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," requested Mrs. Goose zestily. "I heard that this wolverine likes to whip boxes of Kleenex."

"Um, I don't know what to say," barked Mister Penguin, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mrs. Goose, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the buffalo wallow when we get a lot of wolverines whipping boxes of Kleenex?"

"I can't imagine," reasoned Mister Penguin.

"What are we going to do about it?" invited Mrs. Goose.

"Appoint a committee?" opined Mister Penguin, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Goose had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," barked Mister Penguin fondly, who wanted to bring the conversation to a close quickly, without finding himself on this committee.

"I'd like for you to be on the committee," said Mrs. Goose demurely. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," mused Mister Penguin primly, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the catbird seat on his front porch, looking out over the buffalo wallow and rocking. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Goose. Do come again."

"Just a minute," pronounced Mrs. Goose ingeniously. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Mister Penguin thought he had answered, and was beginning to get undignified. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mister Goose doing these days?"

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

Mister Penguin sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied greedily.