Miss Turkey And The New Neighbor

Miss Turkey lived in a neighborhood in a palace made of snow. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover prune pudding, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

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

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" agreed Miss Turkey vacantly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cup of hot chocolate?"

"I can't stay," muttered Mrs. Dormouse. I just want to ask you what you think of the duck-billed platypus that's come to the neighborhood.

"I really don't know," reasoned Miss Turkey. "I didn't know about any duck-billed platypus. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," revealed Mrs. Dormouse frenetically. "I heard that this duck-billed platypus likes to replace church keys."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Dormouse, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the neighborhood when we get a lot of duck-billed platypi replacing church keys?"

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

"What are we going to do about it?" voiced Mrs. Dormouse.

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

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

"Well that's a fine idea," rationalized Miss Turkey quietly, 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. Dormouse diligently. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," bragged Miss Turkey repeatedly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the stairway on her front porch, looking out over the neighborhood and snoring. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Dormouse. Do come again."

"Just a minute," chortled Mrs. Dormouse quickly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

Mrs. Dormouse 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 noisily.