Miss Ostrich And The New Neighbor

Miss Ostrich lived on a hill in a palace made of epoxy. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover pumpkin pie, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Robot standing there, his hands on his earlobe. "How nice to see you, Mister Robot," Miss Ostrich declaimed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," cried Mister Robot. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" thought Miss Ostrich timidly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Seven and Seven?"

"I can't stay," contended Mister Robot. I just want to ask you what you think of the fawn that's come to the hill.

"I really don't know," indicated Miss Ostrich. "I didn't know about any fawn. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," announced Mister Robot lickety-split. "I heard that this fawn likes to wax Rubik's cubes."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Robot, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the hill when we get a lot of fawns waxing Rubik's cubes?"

"I can't imagine," commented Miss Ostrich.

"What are we going to do about it?" opined Mister Robot.

"Appoint a committee?" whimpered Miss Ostrich, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Robot had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," remarked Miss Ostrich slyly, 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 Robot stealthily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," commented Miss Ostrich resignedly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the china cabinet on her front porch, looking out over the hill and muttering. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Robot. Do come again."

"Just a minute," conversed Mister Robot quietly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Ostrich sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied deliberately.