Mister Wallaby And The New Neighbor

Mister Wallaby lived at a dump in a studio made of peanut butter. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover candy, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Wallaby standing there, her hands on her toenail. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Wallaby," Mister Wallaby screeched, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," hissed Mrs. Wallaby. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" enunciated Mister Wallaby fearlessly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a whiskey sour?"

"I can't stay," bawled Mrs. Wallaby. I just want to ask you what you think of the manatee that's come to the dump.

"I really don't know," hummed Mister Wallaby. "I didn't know about any manatee. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," asserted Mrs. Wallaby brightly. "I heard that this manatee likes to prepare shovels."

"Um, I don't know what to say," declared Mister Wallaby, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mrs. Wallaby, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the dump when we get a lot of manatees preparing shovels?"

"I can't imagine," exploded Mister Wallaby.

"What are we going to do about it?" continued Mrs. Wallaby.

"Appoint a committee?" winked Mister Wallaby, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Wallaby had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," remarked Mister Wallaby cunningly, who wanted to bring the conversation to a close quickly, without finding himself on this committee.

"I'd like for you to be on the committee," said Mrs. Wallaby immediately. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," howled Mister Wallaby demurely, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the pool table on his front porch, looking out over the dump and wandering. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Wallaby. Do come again."

"Just a minute," reacted Mrs. Wallaby humbly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Wallaby sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied joyously.