Miss Mare And The New Neighbor

Miss Mare lived on a savanna in a stinky shack made of wattle and daub. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover pizza, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Raccoon standing there, her hands on her chin. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Raccoon," Miss Mare wailed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," croaked Mrs. Raccoon. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" fantasized Miss Mare suspiciously, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a chocolate milk?"

"I can't stay," chattered Mrs. Raccoon. I just want to ask you what you think of the manticore that's come to the savanna.

"I really don't know," blustered Miss Mare. "I didn't know about any manticore. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," shrieked Mrs. Raccoon coldly. "I heard that this manticore likes to smudge corncobs."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Raccoon, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the savanna when we get a lot of manticores smudging corncobs?"

"I can't imagine," hummed Miss Mare.

"What are we going to do about it?" moaned Mrs. Raccoon.

"Appoint a committee?" mused Miss Mare, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Raccoon had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," brought up Miss Mare sharply, 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. Raccoon proudly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," provoked Miss Mare demurely, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the footstool on her front porch, looking out over the savanna and yelping. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Raccoon. Do come again."

"Just a minute," smirked Mrs. Raccoon doubtfully. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Mare sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied greedily.