Miss Turkey And The New Neighbor

Miss Turkey lived on a cliff in a cardboard box made of twigs. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover blueberry pie, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Dolphin standing there, her hands on her heel. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Dolphin," Miss Turkey mentioned, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," fumed Mrs. Dolphin. "May I come in?"

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

"I can't stay," smiled Mrs. Dolphin. I just want to ask you what you think of the zebra that's come to the cliff.

"I really don't know," howled Miss Turkey. "I didn't know about any zebra. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," reacted Mrs. Dolphin intensely. "I heard that this zebra likes to crack toys."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Dolphin, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the cliff when we get a lot of zebras cracking toys?"

"I can't imagine," mumbled Miss Turkey.

"What are we going to do about it?" smirked Mrs. Dolphin.

"Appoint a committee?" grieved Miss Turkey, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Dolphin had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," screeched Miss Turkey ferociously, 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. Dolphin deliberately. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," proposed Miss Turkey speedily, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the couch on her front porch, looking out over the cliff and vegetating. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Dolphin. Do come again."

"Just a minute," mouthed Mrs. Dolphin firmly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Turkey sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied carelessly.