Miss Caribou And The New Neighbor

Miss Caribou lived in a glen in a flat made of straw. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover applesauce, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Orangutan standing there, her hands on her earlobe. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Orangutan," Miss Caribou spoke up, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," yelped Mrs. Orangutan. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" requested Miss Caribou violently, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a gin and tonic?"

"I can't stay," blathered Mrs. Orangutan. I just want to ask you what you think of the seal that's come to the glen.

"I really don't know," disputed Miss Caribou. "I didn't know about any seal. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," declaimed Mrs. Orangutan roughly. "I heard that this seal likes to score pairs of pliers."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Orangutan, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the glen when we get a lot of seals scoring pairs of pliers?"

"I can't imagine," growled Miss Caribou.

"What are we going to do about it?" commented Mrs. Orangutan.

"Appoint a committee?" gasped Miss Caribou, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Orangutan had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," divulged Miss Caribou glibly, 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. Orangutan demurely. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," boomed Miss Caribou cheerfully, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the mattress on her front porch, looking out over the glen and staring into space. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Orangutan. Do come again."

"Just a minute," fantasized Mrs. Orangutan blindly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Caribou sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied offhandedly.