"Muldoone, wake up!!  We have a new assignment, we are to go and check
on the three lost ferrets who arrived here a few days ago.  Awww Nanna,
tome back watter, it be too early to gets up."
 
To Muldoone's surprise, something grabs his hammy and gives it a good
shake and he then hears the booming voice of Nanna.  "Muldoone, you get
your tiny-hinny out of that hammy right now, you have a job to do!!  But
Nanna, Mully tries to object, I wants to sweep a while wonger.  Me and
da guys were up wate wast night doing a fwannel nightgown raide on da
girls.  Come back watter."
 
Next thing Mully knows, he is being dragged out of his hammy by one of
his ears and as far as Muldoone is concerned, ya just don't drag a guy
ferret out of his hammy by an ear.
 
"Otay, otay Nanna, I be up!!"  Standing in front of Muldoone is Nanna
and she is nose-to-nose with him, her eyes blazing.  "Young man, you
have about 90 seconds to brush your teeth, comb your face, and make
yourself presentable.  NOW MARCH!!
 
Muldoone staggers off in the direction of his "making presentable" area
and muttering to himself.  "Sur sounds wike Nanna gots up on da wong
side of da hammy dis mornin.
 
"I HEARD THAT MULDOONE" Nanna yells back to him.
 
Muldoone reappears a few minutes later and stands at attention for
Nanna's inspection.  "Muldoone, did you even try to comb your hair" she
asks.  "Yes Nanna, I twies but I gots dat hammy-head hair dat always
wooks dis way, I twies Nanna, weally I did.
 
Well she sighs, it will have to do for today, we are late already and
grabbing Muldoon by the paw, they are off.
 
"Where we be going Nanna, Muldoone asks.
 
We are going to go visit the three new ones, Sunny-ferret has them with
her, she is the head-ferret for the special arrivals at the Bridge and
the Boss told her to consult with you on this case although I don't know
why Nanna trails off.
 
The two ferrets reach Sunny-ferret's bungalow and Muldoone is astounded
at the beauty of it and the overwhelming sense of peace he felt.  The
outer walls were a beautiful pale blue that blended into shades of pink,
from there into peach, and from there a delicate shade of green that went
on to become blue again.  Fairy dust seemed to glisten everywhere in the
air outside the bungalow but as Muldoone tried to catch some of it he
found his paw empty upon inspection.  "Stop that Muldoone, Nanna scolds
him, we are here for a very important assignment not to try to gather
fairy dust."
 
Sunny-ferret then appears at the doorway and offers her nose to Nanna in
a friendly greeting.  "I understand you have come to check on our little
trio she says with such warmth and peace.
 
Yes we have Sunny and the Boss also wanted my assistant Muldoone to come
along and help although I don't know what help he could be Nanna says
under her breath except to introduce them to mischief.
 
Muldoone pulls himself up straight and tall and hopes the nice lady
ferret Sunny didn't hear the last part.  "Mornin Miz Sunny-fewet, I
beMuldoone and pweased to meets you.
 
Addressing Nanna, Sunny goes on to report how the three are doing.
"Nanna, it is just so sad about these three, they are not eating, they
don't seem to want to play, they just huddle under a blanket and sob, I
don't know what to do to help them.  I have gotten special cases before
but never any as sad as these three.  They don't even have a name, can
you imagine that Sunny-ferret states with disgust.
 
Just then Muldoone has an idea, "cans we tome in Miz Sunny and sees da
tree fewets?
 
Oh yes of course Muldoone, please come in, I hope you brought some ideas
with you."
 
Inside Sunny-ferret's bungalow Muldoone found it to be just as beautiful
and warm as the outside.  There were hammies everywhere in every size,
shape,and color a ferret could imagine.  There were socks galore just
waiting to be drug off to a hidey-hole.  Tubes lined the walls with left
turns, right turns and straight-aheads.  There were treat dispensers that
all a ferret had to do was walk up to it and as if by magic a treat would
pop out for them.  "Miss Sunny-fewet, did be a vewy nice pwace, I would
wike to wive hereto which Sunny-ferret chuckled, sorry Muldoone, this
is for special cases that arrive at the Bridge and are having trouble
adjusting."
 
Sunny-ferret walked over to a hammy and gently tapped on it, "wee-ones
we have visitors who have come to see you she tells them.
 
Is it someone who has tome to takes us home, the older of the three asks.
 
No wee-one Sunny-ferret tells him softly but our visitors have come to
try to help.
 
We don't wants no help the tiny little girl ferret sobs, we just wants
to go home.  Pwease Miz Sunny-fewet the little girl continues, tells our
hooman-beans dat we pwomise to be gud all da time, we make sur to gets
all our poops insideda box.  No more stealing our hooman-beans' stuff,
pwease Miz Sunny, tells our hooman dat so maybe dey wove us 'gain and
maybe we goes home.  Gathering the little girl in her paws Sunny-ferret
herself begins to silently cry, big tears glistening on her beautiful
fur.
 
Wee-one, don't you think I would do that if I could Sunny-ferret begins
to try to explain to the little girl ferret.  I am very sorry to have to
tell you this but you don't have a home on earth any longer, you home is
here with us, we will love you and protect you, no one will ever hurt you
again.  You will have plenty to eat and drink...... But I no care 'bout
dat the little girl sobs, I wants to go home, I wants my familee, maybe
if we pwomise to be gud fewets dey will wove us again and wet us tome
home.
 
Muldoone looks over to Nanna, his young tender heart in his throat,
thinking back to his own home and his hooman-beans and how much he
was loved, Mully's eyes began to tear up.  "Guys I be weally sorry da
hooman-beans do dis to you.  The two younger ferrets try to get even
closer to the senior ferret as if he could somehow shield the two of
them from the hurt as reality wa s beginning to sink in.
 
The older of the three ferrets seemed to have something in particular on
his mind.
 
"Mr. Muldoone, what is it wike to habe a name?  We don't habe a name and
was neber giben a name.
 
Mully thinks for a minute and then gets a big smile on his face.  "We can
fix dat for you can't we Nanna Muldoone says with a twinkle in his eye.
"What would you wike to be called he asks the older ferret.
 
I not know, answers the oldest fuzzy, I once hear da name Webster and
wiked it.
 
Alrighty den, if you wikes Webster, den your name be Webster" and for the
first time the large male seemed to find the strength within himself to
stand up straight and tall.
 
"And what name would you wike Muldoone asks the small male, did you ebber
hears a name you wiked?
 
The young male thought for a bit and then gestured for Muldoone to move
closer to him and he begins the whisper a name informing Muldoone he
wants to be called Buddy, he said he wants to have lots of friends.
Little Buddy looked into the loving face of Nanna and then offered a shy
gentle smile at Sunny-ferret.  The little girl ferret was still being
held and rocked by Nanna.  She was obviously very frightened and sad.
 
Nanna, Muldoone asks, any nameda wee-one ask for or wants to be called?"
Nanna listens close to the fuzzbutt she is holding in her paws.  She then
dries the wee-one's tears on her apron and the little girl begins to
speak; "I once hear 'bout a widdle gurl wion and her name be Elsa, tan I
be called Elsa?  Not Elsa da wion, butElsa da fewet.
 
Then Elsa da fewet you shall be Muldoone tells her.  She accepts one
last encouraging hug from Nanna and climbs down to take her place next
to newly-named Webster and Buddy.
 
As Sunny-ferret begins to speak, once again Muldoone sees the tears
glistening in her fur.  "Muldoone, thank you so much for what you have
done for these three wee-ones, we now have names for them, something they
have never had before and with a pure and loving heart, you were able to
give that to them.
 
Awww shucks Miz. Sunny-fewet, it be no big deal Muldoone answers her
while blushing a bit.
 
But it was Muldoone, you have only known them for a very short time and
you gave them something their hoomans either couldn't or wouldn't, this
tells me what a kind heart you have" and Sunny-ferret steps forward to
give Muldoone a gentle kiss on one of his chubby little furry cheeks.
 
Sunny-ferret speaks to the trio once again and explains to them that they
will remain with her for a while longer and eventually become part of the
"Merry Mayhem Crew."
 
"But Miz Sunny-fewet Muldoone begins to object, how tans I show dem
'round Wainbow Bridge and all da fun tings we habe here if you keeps
dem here wif you?
 
There will be plenty of time for that Muldoone but for now they have
hurting hearts and their little souls need love and nourishment.
 
What kinds of fun tings be here Muldoone little Buddy ferret asks with
excitement in his voice.
 
We gots da Otter Swide, Wessle-Mania, da Fruit Bar, Chicken Gwavy Pond,
da Soc Steal Course, Dirt Mountain and wots more Muldoone chatters on
and on.  Webster and Buddy, do you wike gurl fewets, we gots wots of dem
here.  Just wast night I be up wate wif some of my buddies stealing
fwannel nightgowns from da gurls and it be wots of fun, you will habe to
joins in next time.
 
Da gurls here hab fwannel nightgowns" Webster and Buddy ask their eyes
getting big and round, we haben't touched fwannel for a wong time.
 
MULDOONE, Nanna shrieks at him, you don't be telling them things like
that, there are more important things to be thinking about.  But Nanna
Mully tries to object but thinks better of it when he sees those glaring
eyes of Nanna's.
 
"Muldoone, Webster starts to speak once again, pwomise to tome back and
sees us again?
 
You betcha" Mully assures Webster and drawing close enough for the young
fert to hear him he whispers "and no matter what dat Nanna say, nothing
bes more 'portant dan a nighttime fwannel nightgown raid on da gurls.
I HEARD THAT MULDOONE Nanna hisses at him.  Turning back to Elsa the tiny
little girl ferret Nanna asks her "will that be okay with you wee-one, to
stay here for a while longer with Miz Sunny-ferret .
 
Oh yes mam Elsa smiles shyly at Sunny-ferret.  I wikes it here a wot and
wast night, Miz Sunny-fewet tells me she will show me how to make 'Tone
brownies whateber dey be.
 
Nanna glanced over to the boys Webster and Buddy and wanted to check
with them again to make sure they are okay staying a few more days with
Sandy-ferret and to her dismay, she sees them both over in a corner
hanging on every word Muldoone is telling them.  As she approaches the
small huddle, she hears something about "maybe you guys could helps me
finds dat awarm cwock ofNanna's so she not gets me out of my hammy so
earwy in da mornins."
 
I HEARD THAT MULDOONE" she hisses at him.  Grabbing Muldoone by the
scruff and pulling him from the bungalow he calls out a good-bye to his
new-found friends.
 
"Teenage ferret males, Nanna grumbles to no one in particular.  What did
I ever do to make the Boss so angry and punish me by making me try to
keep this one out of trouble?  I know I won't be getting that promotion,
the raise I was promised much less a bigger hammy."
[Posted in FML issue 4586]