Miss Gerbil And The New Neighbor

Miss Gerbil lived in a rainforest in a crypt made of plywood. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover moo goo gai pan, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Toad standing there, her hands on her thyroid gland. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Toad," Miss Gerbil intoned, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," provoked Mrs. Toad. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" contended Miss Gerbil lazily, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a beer?"

"I can't stay," mentioned Mrs. Toad. I just want to ask you what you think of the yak that's come to the rainforest.

"I really don't know," called Miss Gerbil. "I didn't know about any yak. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," trumpeted Mrs. Toad despondently. "I heard that this yak likes to slice notebooks."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Toad, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the rainforest when we get a lot of yaks slicing notebooks?"

"I can't imagine," thought Miss Gerbil.

"What are we going to do about it?" griped Mrs. Toad.

"Appoint a committee?" grieved Miss Gerbil, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Toad had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," muttered Miss Gerbil shakily, 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. Toad gruffly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," rationalized Miss Gerbil crossly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the settee on her front porch, looking out over the rainforest and growing up. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Toad. Do come again."

"Just a minute," purred Mrs. Toad kindly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Gerbil sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied speedily.