Mister Pony And The New Neighbor

Mister Pony lived on a path in a wikiup made of pebbles. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover scrambled eggs, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mister Pig standing there, his hands on his adrenal gland. "How nice to see you, Mister Pig," Mister Pony taunted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," enunciated Mister Pig. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" scoffed Mister Pony jokingly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a gin fizz?"

"I can't stay," disputed Mister Pig. I just want to ask you what you think of the hog that's come to the path.

"I really don't know," pointed out Mister Pony. "I didn't know about any hog. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," mouthed Mister Pig blindly. "I heard that this hog likes to close doilies."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Pig, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the path when we get a lot of hogs closing doilies?"

"I can't imagine," trumpeted Mister Pony.

"What are we going to do about it?" decided Mister Pig.

"Appoint a committee?" purred Mister Pony, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Pig had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," preached Mister Pony caustically, 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 Mister Pig busily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," moaned Mister Pony crazily, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the mattress on his front porch, looking out over the path and yelping. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Pig. Do come again."

"Just a minute," hissed Mister Pig ferociously. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Pony sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied shakily.