Mister Kangaroo And The New Neighbor

Mister Kangaroo lived beside a creek in a quonset hut made of polyester. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover blueberry pie, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Gecko standing there, her hands on her knuckle. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Gecko," Mister Kangaroo spouted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," divulged Mrs. Gecko. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" revealed Mister Kangaroo trustingly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a soda?"

"I can't stay," repeated Mrs. Gecko. I just want to ask you what you think of the rooster that's come to the creek.

"I really don't know," tittered Mister Kangaroo. "I didn't know about any rooster. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," screamed Mrs. Gecko energetically. "I heard that this rooster likes to extinguish avocados."

"Um, I don't know what to say," imitated Mister Kangaroo, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mrs. Gecko, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the creek when we get a lot of roosters extinguishing avocados?"

"I can't imagine," suggested Mister Kangaroo.

"What are we going to do about it?" asserted Mrs. Gecko.

"Appoint a committee?" piped up Mister Kangaroo, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Gecko had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," urged Mister Kangaroo steadily, who wanted to bring the conversation to a close quickly, without finding himself on this committee.

"I'd like for you to be on the committee," said Mrs. Gecko repeatedly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," whispered Mister Kangaroo tenderly, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the footstool on his front porch, looking out over the creek and itching. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Gecko. Do come again."

"Just a minute," mused Mrs. Gecko oddly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Mister Kangaroo thought he had answered, and was beginning to get intrepid. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mister Gecko doing these days?"

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

Mister Kangaroo sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied suavely.