Early morning at the Bridge and the first light was beginning to streak
across the sky leaving in its wake beautiful shades of lavender, shades
of yellow and gold, and blues that faded in and out; what a sight to
behold.
 
Muldoone surprised himself by being awake before his alarm went off.
Mully never wanted to get up early; he enjoyed sleeping in as late as
possible every morning.  Remembering he had a greeting to do, indulging
in another long delicious stretch and prolonged yawn, Muldoone knew he
could put it off no longer and climbed out of his hammy just as his alarm
began to sound.  Making his way to the necessary corner and then starting
the usual morning battle with his hammy-head-hair, "I not know what da
Boss be waiting on 'bout fixin my hair, I tink I sends Him nudder
message" Mully grumbled to himself.
 
Out the door and heading for the Bridge to greet the ferret due to arrive
that morning, Muldoone was thinking about the new comer.  His name was
Teddy and he left behind a broken hearted earth mom and dad.
 
Teddy was a 5 1/2 years old cinnamon champagne male who had lost his
battle with cancer of the pancreas, liver and intestines.  Teddy would be
reunited with his former cage mates Sampson, Sarah his little girlfriend
who passed on from diabetes, and Wolf his last cage mate who passed on
following surgery.
 
Teddy's buddies had been located the previous evening and they were
invited to welcome their friend Teddy.
 
Arriving at the Bridge, Muldoone was surprised to fine Teddy's friends
Sampson, Sarah, and Wolf already there, they were obviously very anxious
to be reunited with their old friend.
 
Mully didn't have to wait long until he felt the first tingles in his
whiskers and the music in the air had begun to change.  He had grown
familiar with the sweet sadness of the song that accompanied each arrival
yet on this day the song was somehow different.  The Ferret Promise Song
danced on the air with such a sad finality, it sang of unfilled promises,
it told of a loss and a longing felt deeply in the heart and soul of a
human back on earth.  With his eyes closed and letting his thoughts
travel back to earth and to the wonderful time he spent with his familee,
he felt himself getting lost in the sweet sad song.  At the moment each
ferret passed, the Creator gently took them in His thundering velvet
right hand and whispered to their hearts I knew you before you were a
ferret, I knew you while you were on earth, and now you have returned to
Me, rest now wee-one, you are home, come and start your new journey that
begins at the Bridge.
 
The flash of light subsided and then Mully heard the unmistakable sounds
of ferrety feets coming across the time-worn planks of the Bridge; the
Moonbeam Molly Express having delivered another ferret whose time on
earth had been cut short.
 
A cinnamon champagne ferret stopped at the end of the Bridge and looked
around.  He then noticed a dark sable ferret wearing something on his
head with fur sticking out from underneath it; silly-looking fur going
in all directions, and the newcomer asked, "Who you be"?
 
"Hello, I be Mr. Muldoone, officialist Wainbow Bwidge Gweeter" he
informed the newcomer.  "Welcomes."
 
Teddy sat down and looked all around at his new surroundings, he had a
bit of a sad look on his face.
 
Approaching the newcomer Muldoone asked him if he knew where he was.
 
"Yes I knos where I be Teddy told Mully.  My mom say I got fwiends here
and I be hoping to sees dem."
 
"You sees yur fwiends" Muldoone told him, "but firstist tells me bout
yourself kid, tells me what you wikes to do."
 
"I wikes pushin balls wiff my nose, I wikes 'Tone and I do da bestest
alligator rolls.  I wikes Cheweasels, chicken stix and teenie greenies,
but I wiked my familee mostest and I missis my fwiends" Teddy told
Muldoone as a tear slipped down his furry cheek.
 
"I gots gud news for you Teddy" Mully began, "yur fwiends be here to
gweets you.  Come on out guys" Muldoone sang out to the three ferrets
hiding behind a bush.
 
Stepping out first was Sarah and she held her arms open wide as she ran
in the direction of Teddy.  Teddy pulled her close to him and held her
for a long time whispering in her fur "Sawah I missted you berry much."
Sarah and Teddy exchanged several kisses and rubbed muzzles and then
exchanged more kisses.  It was more than obvious to Muldoone that the two
ferrets loved each other very very much and the tender reunion brought
tears to his eyes.
 
Next to step out were Sampson and Wolf.  Looking up to see them Teddy
let out a war-hoop and he immediately went running at them.  The three
ferrets were laughing, tumbling over one another, dook-dook-dooking and
being about as silly as three ferrets can get.
 
"Teddy" began his friend Wolf, "we has so much to shows you but firstist
we wants to hear 'bout mom and dad, how dey be?  Dooes dey misses us?
Who takes care of dem now wiff you here?"
 
Laughing, Teddy assured them there were other ferrets there to take care
of their mom and dad and he began to fill them in on all the latest news.
 
"Misser Muldoone, can we shows Teddy round here at da Bwidge?" Sampson
asked.  "Yeah we wants to show him da new Cheweasel garden and takes him
to dirt mountain and I knos he be gud at the tube waces.  Pwease Misser
Muldoone?"
 
As the two males were pleading their case, Sarah had come over to Teddy
and he reached for her taking one of her tiny velvet paws in his larger
one.  Kissing her gently on the forehead Teddy told Sarah, "I missted
you berry much."
 
~~Muldoone~~
Caring for your ferrets at the Rainbow Bridge.
[Posted in FML issue 5061]