As usual early morning finds Muldoone still in his hammy snoozing away.
Just as he is really getting into his dream of being up to his knees
in ferret treats he feels a yank on his hammy.  Geez Mully thinks to
himself, I hates people who dooes a yank on my hammy.
 
"Muldoone, wake up, Nanna tells him, we have a new ferret arriving this
morning.
 
"Geeze Nanna, cans you do it dis time pwease?"
 
"Nothing doing mister, you get your tiny hinny out of there right now"
Nanna informs him.
 
By now Mully knows it is useless to try to argue with her, for one thing
Nanna is one rather L A R G E ferret with a temper.  "Same dwill Nanna?"
Mully asks her.
 
"Yes Muldoone, same drill, go and get yourself ready."
 
Muldoone reappears a few minutes later and stands inspection for the
older motherly ferret.
 
"Everything looks okay except for the hair" Nanna informs him.
 
"Nanna, I tells you, I gots dat hammy-head hair and........"
 
"Yes Muldoone, I know that, Nanna interrupts him, you told me that
already but surely there is something we could do to calm it down, I
am going to have to speak to the Boss about it and see if He can do
anything about your hair."
 
"Wook Nanna, when I puts my hat on, dat cobers it up, see" and Muldoone
flashes her one of his best smiles while giving his baseball cap one
final adjustment.
 
As Muldoone and Nanna are making their way to the Bridge, Mully gets a
little nervous as to why Nanna is going to be present for the greeting.
I be doin my job, I gweet da fewets wike I 'poose to so why she coming
along?
 
Arriving at the Bridge and Muldoone taking his appointed position, Nanna
begins to speak.  The ferret due to arrive is a very special little soul.
Her human contacted the Boss about her and according to her human she was
an elegant lady to the end.  She was a small sable girl who never met a
ferret or a human that she didn't like.  Bailey was absolutely convinced
that everyone she met needed a good cleaning and set about washing their
face.  She loved treats and, as soon as the Cheerios hit her human's bowl
in the morning, she was there waiting for her share of the banana."
 
"So why you bees here Nanna?  You not tink I do a gud job?" Mully asks
with a trace of hurt in his voice and in his eyes.
 
"No Muldoone, that is not it at all, I wanted to be here to meet the new
arrival.  She sounds very interesting."
 
Just then the wind began to pick up and as it tickled its way through his
whiskers, the first strains of the Ferret Promise Song could be heard;
the sad sweet melody dancing softly on the breeze.  The melody sang of
welcome and loss, of love and trust, and it sang of the promise that
love was eternal.  The song told of the pain of separation and the sorrow
of the humans.  The melody told the story of the heart of a ferret and
hearts of the humans welded together in friendship, trust, and love, but
it also told the story of that bond being broken, sad hearts, and many
tears.  The Ferret Promise Song played for each and every arrival,
whispering to their hearts; "wee-one you are home.
 
The flash of light subsided and then Mully heard the unmistakable sounds
of ferrety feets coming across the planks of the Bridge; the moonbeam
express having delivered another ferret whose time on earth had been cut
short.
 
The new arrival crossed daintily over the Bridge, reaching the end and
sitting down to look all around at her new surroundings.  "Wow she
exclaims dis pwace be purrdy!!
 
Mully steps forward to greet the new arrival.  "Welcomes to da Wainbow
Bwidge I be Mr. Muldoone, officialist Bwidge Gweeter."  Muldoone leaned
forward offering his nose in greeting to the little girl ferret.
 
Nanna faines a cough and Muldoone realizes his boss is waiting to be
introduced to the new arrival.  "Sworry, I almost forgets, dis be Nanna"
Mully tells Bailey gesturing in Nanna's direction.
 
Stepping forward, Nanna offers her nose to the newcomer in greeting.
"Welcome to the Rainbow Bridge Bailey, we have heard so much about you."
 
"You hears 'bout me?  From where?" Bailey asks.
 
"From you human-mom Nanna explains to her, you human mom loved you very
very much and she is sad that you had to go away."
 
"I bees sick for a while and it made my mom weally sad dat I be sick but
I twy hard to not bees sick and I twies weally hard to make her smile.  I
wemembers going somepwace and we sees da doc and he gibs me a shot dat
made me weally sweepy and I no could hold my eyes open and I goes to
sweep.  Den I tink I wemembers widing on a horse or sumtin wike dat but
dis horsey had big wings and she holds me close as she fwys.  She tells
me her name be Molly and she say for me not to be 'fraid."
 
"Bailey, I am just amazed that you remember all that Nanna tells her.
Most of the ferrets don't remember that part.  The "horse" you mentioned
riding on with the big protective wings, that is our unicorn Molly and
your trip is known as the Moonbeam Express.  Molly brings each and every
ferret to the Rainbow Bridge when they pass over."
 
"Nanna begins Bailey, if Molly bwings me heres den can she takes me back
to my mom?  I feels all better now, I not bees sick" and to prove it she
begins a delicate tippy-toe dance.
 
This part of the job was very hard for Muldoone and for Nanna, having
to tell a ferret their march of days on earth was over and here at
the Bridge they would remain until they were reunited with their
hooman-beans.  Some ferrets accepted it, some were happy to no longer
be sick, some ferrets who didn't have a very good life on earth would
finally have a family made up of Bridge ferrets.
 
"Bailey how would you like for us to show you around the Rainbow Bridge?
asked Nanna.  There is much to see here, many things to do.  Which one of
us would you like to take you on your guided tour; myself or Muldoone?"
 
Glancing back to Muldoone standing there, Bailey motioned for Nanna to
bend down a bit so she could whisper something in her ear.  "Nanna, I
not want to hurts Mr. Muldoone's fweelings but I tink I pick you.
Muldoone be a handsum fewet but I be a lady."
 
Turning back to face Muldoone again, Nanna tells him that the newcomer
wants to be shown around by her.
 
"Dat be okay" Mully tells the two girl ferrets.  Thinking to himself what
a waste of energy it be to try to be all fixeded up all the time and all
dat girl stuff, da guy fewets not understands dat.
 
As the two "ladies" head down a path to take Bailey to the heart of the
Rainbow Bridge Village for her big surprise; being reunited with Rascal
and Dickens and the rest.
 
As Mully is heading off in a different direction to find some of his
buddies, one thing pops into his head.... I wonder if she bwought a
fwannel nightgown.
 
~~Muldoone~~
Caring for your ferrets at Rainbow Bridge.
[Posted in FML issue 4852]