Mister Kitten And The New Neighbor

Mister Kitten lived at a dump in a retreat made of limestone. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover popcorn, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Beetle standing there, her hands on her front tooth. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Beetle," Mister Kitten snorted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," realized Mrs. Beetle. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" alleged Mister Kitten trustingly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Tom and Jerry?"

"I can't stay," fretted Mrs. Beetle. I just want to ask you what you think of the flamingo that's come to the dump.

"I really don't know," burbled Mister Kitten. "I didn't know about any flamingo. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," affirmed Mrs. Beetle shyly. "I heard that this flamingo likes to prune saws."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Beetle, 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 flamingoes pruning saws?"

"I can't imagine," giggled Mister Kitten.

"What are we going to do about it?" boasted Mrs. Beetle.

"Appoint a committee?" burbled Mister Kitten, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Beetle had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," vouched Mister Kitten greedily, 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. Beetle grandly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," groaned Mister Kitten merrily, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the safe on his front porch, looking out over the dump and getting rigid. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Beetle. Do come again."

"Just a minute," murmured Mrs. Beetle lickety-split. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Kitten sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied bitterly.