Miss Deer And The New Neighbor

Miss Deer lived on a cliff in an igloo made of graham crackers. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover cherries jubilee, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Sheep standing there, his hands on his Achilles tendon. "How nice to see you, Mister Sheep," Miss Deer stated, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," intoned Mister Sheep. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" groveled Miss Deer sagely, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Mountain Dew?"

"I can't stay," whimpered Mister Sheep. I just want to ask you what you think of the tapeworm that's come to the cliff.

"I really don't know," insisted Miss Deer. "I didn't know about any tapeworm. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," murmured Mister Sheep cunningly. "I heard that this tapeworm likes to pound pictures."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Sheep, 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 tapeworms pounding pictures?"

"I can't imagine," fumed Miss Deer.

"What are we going to do about it?" nattered Mister Sheep.

"Appoint a committee?" blustered Miss Deer, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Sheep had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," jeered Miss Deer strangely, 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 Sheep boisterously. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," bragged Miss Deer stupidly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the footstool on her front porch, looking out over the cliff and rocking. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Sheep. Do come again."

"Just a minute," griped Mister Sheep uneasily. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Deer sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied slyly.