Miss Honeybee And The New Neighbor

Miss Honeybee lived in a bog in a hovel made of epoxy. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover fried okra, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Bandicoot standing there, her hands on her claw. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Bandicoot," Miss Honeybee chanted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," wept Mrs. Bandicoot. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" enunciated Miss Honeybee surreptitiously, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a milkshake?"

"I can't stay," swore Mrs. Bandicoot. I just want to ask you what you think of the kangaroo that's come to the bog.

"I really don't know," hinted Miss Honeybee. "I didn't know about any kangaroo. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," implored Mrs. Bandicoot brashly. "I heard that this kangaroo likes to punch umbrellas."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Bandicoot, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the bog when we get a lot of kangaroos punching umbrellas?"

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

"What are we going to do about it?" wailed Mrs. Bandicoot.

"Appoint a committee?" moaned Miss Honeybee, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Bandicoot had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," interrupted Miss Honeybee suddenly, 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. Bandicoot recklessly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," vowed Miss Honeybee deftly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the hatstand on her front porch, looking out over the bog and glaring. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Bandicoot. Do come again."

"Just a minute," enunciated Mrs. Bandicoot suavely. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Honeybee sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied sadly.