Miss Duck And The New Neighbor

Miss Duck lived on a mountainside in a chapel made of bronze. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover ravioli, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Siamese cat standing there, her hands on her aorta. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Siamese cat," Miss Duck smirked, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," decided Mrs. Siamese cat. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" proposed Miss Duck vacantly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of lemonade?"

"I can't stay," added Mrs. Siamese cat. I just want to ask you what you think of the fox that's come to the mountainside.

"I really don't know," whimpered Miss Duck. "I didn't know about any fox. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," protested Mrs. Siamese cat doubtfully. "I heard that this fox likes to bleach pencil sharpeners."

"Um, I don't know what to say," piped up Miss Duck, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mrs. Siamese cat, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the mountainside when we get a lot of foxes bleaching pencil sharpeners?"

"I can't imagine," whined Miss Duck.

"What are we going to do about it?" guessed Mrs. Siamese cat.

"Appoint a committee?" jeered Miss Duck, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Siamese cat had in mind.

"That's exactly right," said Mrs. Siamese cat ferociously. "A committee to study the problem."

"Well that's a fine idea," chanted Miss Duck madly, 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. Siamese cat truculently. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," bragged Miss Duck smoothly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the dresser on her front porch, looking out over the mountainside and jerking. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Siamese cat. Do come again."

"Just a minute," mumbled Mrs. Siamese cat crossly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Duck sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied delicately.