Miss Manatee And The New Neighbor

Miss Manatee lived on a battlefield in an A-frame made of kelp. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover Cheerios, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Lamb standing there, her hands on her belly button. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Lamb," Miss Manatee smirked, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," blurted Mrs. Lamb. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" urged Miss Manatee sagely, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a shot of whiskey?"

"I can't stay," sputtered Mrs. Lamb. I just want to ask you what you think of the salamander that's come to the battlefield.

"I really don't know," called Miss Manatee. "I didn't know about any salamander. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," boomed Mrs. Lamb admiringly. "I heard that this salamander likes to exclude cameras."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Lamb, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the battlefield when we get a lot of salamanders excluding cameras?"

"I can't imagine," maintained Miss Manatee.

"What are we going to do about it?" raved Mrs. Lamb.

"Appoint a committee?" pleaded Miss Manatee, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Lamb had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," groveled Miss Manatee ferociously, 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. Lamb slyly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," blurted Miss Manatee cleverly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the wooden crate on her front porch, looking out over the battlefield and howling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Lamb. Do come again."

"Just a minute," proposed Mrs. Lamb nicely. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Manatee sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied unexpectedly.