Miss Partridge And The New Neighbor

Miss Partridge lived on a seacoast in a log cabin made of pipe cleaners. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover squash blossom soup, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Iguana standing there, her hands on her leg. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Iguana," Miss Partridge articulated, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," nattered Mrs. Iguana. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" explained Miss Partridge neatly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of wine?"

"I can't stay," whispered Mrs. Iguana. I just want to ask you what you think of the hedgehog that's come to the seacoast.

"I really don't know," acknowledged Miss Partridge. "I didn't know about any hedgehog. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," announced Mrs. Iguana steadily. "I heard that this hedgehog likes to break chamber pots."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Iguana, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the seacoast when we get a lot of hedgehogs breaking chamber pots?"

"I can't imagine," answered Miss Partridge.

"What are we going to do about it?" thought Mrs. Iguana.

"Appoint a committee?" conversed Miss Partridge, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Iguana had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," lamented Miss Partridge temperamentally, 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. Iguana quietly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," orated Miss Partridge tenderly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the table on her front porch, looking out over the seacoast and panting. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Iguana. Do come again."

"Just a minute," realized Mrs. Iguana gleefully. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Partridge sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied jokingly.