Miss Panda And The New Neighbor

Miss Panda lived on a plain in a duplex made of cornhusks. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover fish and chips, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Mouse standing there, her hands on her appendix. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Mouse," Miss Panda snorted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," concluded Mrs. Mouse. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" intoned Miss Panda unnaturally, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a gin fizz?"

"I can't stay," grieved Mrs. Mouse. I just want to ask you what you think of the deer that's come to the plain.

"I really don't know," griped Miss Panda. "I didn't know about any deer. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," shuddered Mrs. Mouse joyously. "I heard that this deer likes to rearrange paper clips."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Mouse, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the plain when we get a lot of deer rearranging paper clips?"

"I can't imagine," smirked Miss Panda.

"What are we going to do about it?" moaned Mrs. Mouse.

"Appoint a committee?" groaned Miss Panda, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Mouse had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," vouched Miss Panda confidently, 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. Mouse truculently. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," ranted Miss Panda excitedly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the washstand on her front porch, looking out over the plain and typing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Mouse. Do come again."

"Just a minute," crooned Mrs. Mouse blissfully. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Panda sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied grandly.