Miss Dolphin And The New Neighbor

Miss Dolphin lived in a country meadow in a stinky shack made of snow. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover lobster, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Cougar standing there, her hands on her eyeball. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Cougar," Miss Dolphin railed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," persisted Mrs. Cougar. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" stuttered Miss Dolphin cunningly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a margarita?"

"I can't stay," realized Mrs. Cougar. I just want to ask you what you think of the koala that's come to the country meadow.

"I really don't know," affirmed Miss Dolphin. "I didn't know about any koala. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," rationalized Mrs. Cougar lickety-split. "I heard that this koala likes to cover diagrams."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Cougar, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the country meadow when we get a lot of koalas covering diagrams?"

"I can't imagine," shouted Miss Dolphin.

"What are we going to do about it?" shuddered Mrs. Cougar.

"Appoint a committee?" enunciated Miss Dolphin, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Cougar had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," yawned Miss Dolphin impatiently, 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. Cougar smoothly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," comforted Miss Dolphin arrogantly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the filing cabinet on her front porch, looking out over the country meadow and thinking. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Cougar. Do come again."

"Just a minute," boasted Mrs. Cougar brashly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Dolphin sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied woodenly.