Miss Fox And The New Neighbor

Miss Fox lived in a jungle in a villa made of slime. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover falafel, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Otter standing there, her hands on her calf. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Otter," Miss Fox reasoned, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," murmured Mrs. Otter. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" vouched Miss Fox courteously, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Bloody Mary?"

"I can't stay," disputed Mrs. Otter. I just want to ask you what you think of the macaque that's come to the jungle.

"I really don't know," professed Miss Fox. "I didn't know about any macaque. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," intimated Mrs. Otter curiously. "I heard that this macaque likes to unwrap snails."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Otter, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the jungle when we get a lot of macaques unwrapping snails?"

"I can't imagine," sniveled Miss Fox.

"What are we going to do about it?" chortled Mrs. Otter.

"Appoint a committee?" screeched Miss Fox, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Otter had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," bawled Miss Fox elatedly, 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. Otter nimbly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," judged Miss Fox truculently, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the cushion on her front porch, looking out over the jungle and sitting still. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Otter. Do come again."

"Just a minute," chattered Mrs. Otter narrowly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Fox sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied demurely.