Miss Raccoon And The New Neighbor

Miss Raccoon lived alongside a stream in a KOA Kampground made of starch. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover moo goo gai pan, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Jackal standing there, his hands on his throat. "How nice to see you, Mister Jackal," Miss Raccoon urged, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," requested Mister Jackal. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" vowed Miss Raccoon trustingly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Tom and Jerry?"

"I can't stay," analyzed Mister Jackal. I just want to ask you what you think of the jackal that's come to the stream.

"I really don't know," queried Miss Raccoon. "I didn't know about any jackal. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," cackled Mister Jackal needlessly. "I heard that this jackal likes to enshrine rocks."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Jackal, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the stream when we get a lot of jackals enshrining rocks?"

"I can't imagine," chanted Miss Raccoon.

"What are we going to do about it?" thought Mister Jackal.

"Appoint a committee?" maintained Miss Raccoon, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Jackal had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," crooned Miss Raccoon blissfully, 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 Jackal dolorously. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," provoked Miss Raccoon effortlessly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the bunk bed on her front porch, looking out over the stream and bawling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Jackal. Do come again."

"Just a minute," gabbed Mister Jackal quietly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Raccoon sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied warmly.