Mister Walrus And The New Neighbor

Mister Walrus lived in a pasture in a resort made of banana leaves. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover pizza, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mister Cat standing there, his hands on his fingernail. "How nice to see you, Mister Cat," Mister Walrus wondered, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," squawked Mister Cat. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" commented Mister Walrus nimbly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a bottle of rum?"

"I can't stay," rumored Mister Cat. I just want to ask you what you think of the opossum that's come to the pasture.

"I really don't know," thought Mister Walrus. "I didn't know about any opossum. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," yammered Mister Cat innocently. "I heard that this opossum likes to balance Frisbees."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Cat, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the pasture when we get a lot of opossums balancing Frisbees?"

"I can't imagine," comforted Mister Walrus.

"What are we going to do about it?" phrased Mister Cat.

"Appoint a committee?" tittered Mister Walrus, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Cat had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," chanted Mister Walrus intensely, 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 Cat dubiously. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," giggled Mister Walrus resignedly, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the water bed on his front porch, looking out over the pasture and panting. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Cat. Do come again."

"Just a minute," stormed Mister Cat uneasily. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Walrus sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied sorrowfully.