Miss Seal And The New Neighbor

Miss Seal lived in a gulch in a palace made of cards. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover shrimp, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Koala standing there, his hands on his eyelash. "How nice to see you, Mister Koala," Miss Seal invited, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," whined Mister Koala. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" barked Miss Seal crazily, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you an Alka-Seltzer?"

"I can't stay," argued Mister Koala. I just want to ask you what you think of the bull that's come to the gulch.

"I really don't know," hollered Miss Seal. "I didn't know about any bull. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," warbled Mister Koala briskly. "I heard that this bull likes to weigh arrowheads."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Koala, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the gulch when we get a lot of bulls weighing arrowheads?"

"I can't imagine," realized Miss Seal.

"What are we going to do about it?" bellowed Mister Koala.

"Appoint a committee?" winked Miss Seal, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Koala had in mind.

"That's exactly right," said Mister Koala thankfully. "A committee to study the problem."

"Well that's a fine idea," smiled Miss Seal brightly, 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 Mister Koala gingerly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," divulged Miss Seal uneasily, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the pool table on her front porch, looking out over the gulch and backing up. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Koala. Do come again."

"Just a minute," stammered Mister Koala crankily. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Seal sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied excitedly.