Miss Chimpanzee And The New Neighbor

Miss Chimpanzee lived on a prairie in a closet made of lace. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover strawberry shortcake, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Canary standing there, her hands on her gall bladder. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Canary," Miss Chimpanzee intimated, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," protested Mrs. Canary. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" quavered Miss Chimpanzee energetically, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Tom Collins?"

"I can't stay," bellowed Mrs. Canary. I just want to ask you what you think of the macaque that's come to the prairie.

"I really don't know," spat Miss Chimpanzee. "I didn't know about any macaque. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," warbled Mrs. Canary viciously. "I heard that this macaque likes to slice batteries."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Canary, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the prairie when we get a lot of macaques slicing batteries?"

"I can't imagine," mused Miss Chimpanzee.

"What are we going to do about it?" blustered Mrs. Canary.

"Appoint a committee?" revealed Miss Chimpanzee, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Canary had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," vowed Miss Chimpanzee majestically, 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. Canary viciously. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," asserted Miss Chimpanzee reluctantly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the buffet on her front porch, looking out over the prairie and treading water. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Canary. Do come again."

"Just a minute," whispered Mrs. Canary solemnly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Chimpanzee sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied tenderly.