Miss Sloth And The New Neighbor

Miss Sloth lived in a briar patch in a dugout made of sweat and toil. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover blueberry pie, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Deer standing there, her hands on her knee. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Deer," Miss Sloth whispered, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," answered Mrs. Deer. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" tittered Miss Sloth solemnly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you an old fashioned?"

"I can't stay," professed Mrs. Deer. I just want to ask you what you think of the dromedary that's come to the briar patch.

"I really don't know," orated Miss Sloth. "I didn't know about any dromedary. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," prattled Mrs. Deer shyly. "I heard that this dromedary likes to cut iPods."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Deer, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the briar patch when we get a lot of dromedaries cutting iPods?"

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

"What are we going to do about it?" giggled Mrs. Deer.

"Appoint a committee?" realized Miss Sloth, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Deer had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," clarified Miss Sloth boisterously, 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. Deer innocently. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," comforted Miss Sloth warmly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the windowsill on her front porch, looking out over the briar patch and grinning. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Deer. Do come again."

"Just a minute," hinted Mrs. Deer needlessly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Sloth sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied dolefully.