Miss Manatee And The New Neighbor

Miss Manatee lived on a range in a chateau made of papyrus. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover egg drop soup, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Pigeon standing there, his hands on his bicep. "How nice to see you, Mister Pigeon," Miss Manatee lamented, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," queried Mister Pigeon. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" articulated Miss Manatee boisterously, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a whiskey?"

"I can't stay," enunciated Mister Pigeon. I just want to ask you what you think of the flamingo that's come to the range.

"I really don't know," stammered Miss Manatee. "I didn't know about any flamingo. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," conversed Mister Pigeon gleefully. "I heard that this flamingo likes to slash garbage cans."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Pigeon, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the range when we get a lot of flamingoes slashing garbage cans?"

"I can't imagine," pleaded Miss Manatee.

"What are we going to do about it?" bellowed Mister Pigeon.

"Appoint a committee?" muttered Miss Manatee, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Pigeon had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," quavered Miss Manatee offhandedly, 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 Pigeon stupidly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," orated Miss Manatee brightly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the bar stool on her front porch, looking out over the range and snickering. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Pigeon. Do come again."

"Just a minute," questioned Mister Pigeon unexpectedly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Manatee sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied sympathetically.