Miss Eagle And The New Neighbor

Miss Eagle lived on a mesa in a boxcar made of duct tape. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover refried beans, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Orangutan standing there, his hands on his stomach. "How nice to see you, Mister Orangutan," Miss Eagle avowed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," conversed Mister Orangutan. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" offered Miss Eagle vacantly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cosmopolitan?"

"I can't stay," intoned Mister Orangutan. I just want to ask you what you think of the kitty that's come to the mesa.

"I really don't know," responded Miss Eagle. "I didn't know about any kitty. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," responded Mister Orangutan immediately. "I heard that this kitty likes to stain bird baths."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Orangutan, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the mesa when we get a lot of kitties staining bird baths?"

"I can't imagine," realized Miss Eagle.

"What are we going to do about it?" queried Mister Orangutan.

"Appoint a committee?" voiced Miss Eagle, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Orangutan had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," recited Miss Eagle crankily, 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 Orangutan hastily. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," declared Miss Eagle tearfully, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the pool table on her front porch, looking out over the mesa and hanging around. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Orangutan. Do come again."

"Just a minute," thought Mister Orangutan gently. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Eagle sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied bravely.