Miss Pony And The New Neighbor

Miss Pony lived in a gully in an igloo made of ashes. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover chicken gumbo, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Ostrich standing there, his hands on his midriff. "How nice to see you, Mister Ostrich," Miss Pony mentioned, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," wailed Mister Ostrich. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" sniped Miss Pony sadly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a gimlet?"

"I can't stay," uttered Mister Ostrich. I just want to ask you what you think of the anteater that's come to the gully.

"I really don't know," preached Miss Pony. "I didn't know about any anteater. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," clarified Mister Ostrich kindly. "I heard that this anteater likes to enclose flash drives."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Ostrich, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the gully when we get a lot of anteaters enclosing flash drives?"

"I can't imagine," cackled Miss Pony.

"What are we going to do about it?" belched Mister Ostrich.

"Appoint a committee?" imitated Miss Pony, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Ostrich had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," enunciated Miss Pony lazily, 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 Ostrich thankfully. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," stammered Miss Pony wildly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the chair on her front porch, looking out over the gully and peeping. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Ostrich. Do come again."

"Just a minute," commented Mister Ostrich firmly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Pony sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied deftly.