Early morning at the Rainbow Bridge was such a beautiful place to be; the
sun had risen and painted the sky with beautiful streaks of pink, golden
yellow, blue, and lavender.  The birds were singing; happy to be starting
a new day, the flowers having given up the last of their dew to the sun,
and animals every where were beginning to stir.  Muldoone awoke and he
began to stretch and yawn, and yawn, and yawn, and yawn some more.  "I no
wants to get up" he grumbled to himself "but iffins I not gets up Nanna
be in here yanking on my hammy.  Dat Nanna, I like to yank her hammy
sometime."
 
Climbing out of his hammy and making his way to the "necessary" corner,
Mully then set about trying to tame his hammy-head-hair and get his
cap on, "Gee zums, I loose dis battle 'gain, I tink I twies dat
"Gots-To-Be-Gwed" hairs stuff dat EmmieWouFewet brings me from her mom"
Mully grumbled.  Heaving a sigh of resignation, having lost yet another
battle with his fur, out the door he we nt making his way to the Bridge
to greet the newcomer that was due to arrive.
 
 
As Muldoone continued to stroll along, he found himself in a beautiful
meadow and as far as the eye could see, he saw Foxgloves blooming in
every shade of purple, pinks, and whites.  Foxgloves were his favorite of
all the flowers that grew at the Rainbow Bridge but that was the kind of
thing a guy ferret didn't discuss with his buddies, he kept his passion
for flowers a secret.  There was just something about the Fox Gloves
that Mully enjoyed, he loved the colors; pinks, purples, and whites and
varying shades of those three colors.  He marveled at their delicate
beauty and never grew tired of admiring them.
 
On the fringes of the Rabbit Village, Muldoone paused to watch mother
bunnies getting the youngster bunnies together for breakfast.  One of
the mama rabbits was busy tying bibs on each smaller bunny seated at a
round table.  Tables everywhere, bunnies of all colors, bunnies with
twitching noses, eyes big and bright, they were seated at round tables
clamoring for their breakfast.
 
Mully decided he had had enough sightseeing for the day and he had better
be on his way, a little girl ferret by the name of Lizzie was due to
arrive.
 
As Muldoone was walking along he kept hearing a rustling sound behind
him but when he turned to look no one was there.  Wondering who was
following him, he stopped again and turned quickly to caught a glimpse
of Clancy trying to duck off in some bushes but he wasn't quick enough,
Mully had seen him.
 
"Ok, Quancy, comes out, I sees you" Muldoone told his young follower.
 
Sheepishly Clancy came out from behind the bush he had been trying to
hide behind.
 
"What you be doin here?" Muldoone demanded of him.  As far as Mully was
concerned, Clancy was a brat and he was always full of stupid questions.
Muldoone only allowed him along when ordered by Nanna.
 
"Misser Muldoone, I wants to go wiff you on dis gweeting.  Cans I go
wiff you pwease?  Pwease Misser Muldoone, I wants to grows up to bees
a Wainbow Bwidge Gweeter just wike you" Clancy told him.
 
Muldoone thought on the matter for a bit and then finally gave in.
"You pwomise to stays out of da way and not asksis a bunch of stoopid
quessions?  I no has time for dat" Mully told him.
 
"I pwomise Misser Muldoone" Clancy told him.
 
"Ok, you can comes but 'member what I tells you" Muldoone told him very
sternly.  "I gots no time for dat, I gots to get to da Bwidge."
 
Arriving at the Bridge and taking their places, the sweet sad Ferret
Promise Song began to swell on the breeze offering comfort to a grieving
heart back on earth and waiting to give a warm loving embrace to the one
who came.  It sang of happier times, the song sang of days of laughter
and playtime, it told the story of a ferret found just in time to be
given a second chance at a better life.  The song told the story of a
beloved fuzzy, who became ill and bravely battled a disease that finally
extinguished her inner light bringing her little life to a close.
 
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 ever a ferret, I knew you while you were on earth, and
you have returned to Me.  Rest now wee-one, you are home, come and let
me hold you and calm all your fears.  And then you will start your new
journey that begins at the Bridge."
 
The flash of light subsided and Muldoone 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.
 
Mully stepped forward to greet the new arrival.  "Welcomes to da Wainbow
Bwidge Wizzie, I be Mr. Muldoone, officialist Bwidge Gweeter" Muldoone
leaned forward offering his nose to the new arrival in a friendly
greeting.
 
The little girl ferret seemed confused and afraid, not sure of where she
was or why she was suddenly there.  Where was her mom?  She had been sick
for a while and she was quite concerned about what was going on.  After
a bit the new comer found her voice and asked "Where be my mom?  I no
tink I appose to be here" Lizzie told Muldoone.
 
"Wizzie, you bees sick and yur mom twied to helps you get betters but
nuffin wurked so you comes here" Muldoone explained to her.
 
"I not feels sick, I feels gud so can you sends me back?  My mom be
worried if I be gone too long" Lizzie explained.
 
"Sworry Wizzie, I no can dooes dat, you bees here wiff me now until yur
mom come to gets you" Mully told her.
 
Clancy was standing off to the side and watching intently.  At first it
was just a soft little cough but when no one seemed to notice he began
to cough louder and clearing his throat.
 
"Quancy, what be wong wiff you, you gots a frog in yur froat?" Muldoone
asked him.
 
Clancy dropped his head and studied his feet, he was blushing a bright
red from head to toe under his sable fur.  He had wanted the beautiful
new arrival to notice him but not that way.  "Sworry, Wizzie, dis be
Quancy, he be here to welcomes you to da Wainbow Bwidge" Muldoone told
the little girl ferret.
 
Clancy moved a little closer and he shyly lifted his head drinking in
the beauty of the newest resident of the Bridge.  "Hi Wizzie, I be
Quancy, I wants to grows up to be a gweeter wike Misser Muldoone.  You
bees a very purrdy fewet " Clancy went on to tell her.  "I bees happy
to show you 'wound at da Bwidge if dat be ok wiff you" all the while
shooting Muldoone a quick glance silently asking for permission to be
her guide.
 
"I no tinks I want to stays here" Lizzie told Muldoone and Clancy,
"my mom be missin me a bunch and I tink I would wike to goes home
now pwease."
 
Looking up in time to see a two shimmering shapes beginning to take form
at the Gate, Muldoone recognized Mz SunnyFerret and Soda her assistant.
SunnyFerret was a very special ferret at the Rainbow Bridge, she had a
heart overflowing with love for all ferrets, especially for the ones who
arrived and were having difficulties making the adjustment, having to
accept being gone from their families.  SodaFerret was such a handsome
ferret, he was a very large male with the fur that was so soft and
shinny.  All the girl ferrets at the Bridge oohed and awed over him but
Soda didn't seem to notice, he was so serious about his work and he felt
a special connection to Mz SunnyFerret; it was she who knew when he was
about to come to the Rainbow Bridge and she arranged for him to be cared
for and loved by a new familee.  Soda's former familee had decided they
no longer wanted him, she intervened on his behalf making it possible
for him to have a new family even for a few days, being loved and cared
for before coming to the Bridge.  And for that wonderful gift bestowed
upon him by Mz SunnyFerret , Soda felt he owed so much to her.
 
SunnyFerret had so lovingly cared for Soda helping to ease the pain of a
broken heart and because he was so special with such a big heart, she
had asked him to become her assistant, helping to care for ferrets who
came to the Bridge who needed her special care.
 
SunnyFerret and Soda approached Lizzie and introduced themselves to her.
"Hello Lizzie and welcome to the Rainbow Bridge, my name is SunnyFerret
and this is my assistant SodaFerret.  My what a beautiful little girl you
are" SunnyFerret told the newcomer.
 
"I no unnerstands dis" Lizzie told SunnyFerret, "I bees sick for a
while but I feels all betters now and I would wikes to go home pwease."
 
"Sweetheart, I am sorry, but we can't send you back" SunnyFerret told
the little girl ferret.  "But how about you come and stay with me for a
while.  I will help you to understand things and Soda will take you to
the edge of the rainbow and show you how to peek in on your family.
Your mom loves you very much Lizzie and she is very sad that you had to
go away but she knows she will see you again someday."
 
"Dat be right Wizzie" SodaFerret told her, "and I shows you how to sneaks
back when yur mom be sweeping and you can gives her whiskery kisses.  Yur
mom never forgets you, she carries you in her heart forever and always."
 
"Are you ready Lizzie, would you like to come with me and see where you
will be living?  You can pick out your hammy and I will teach you how to
make 'Tone brownies.  And then when you are ready to meet other ferrets
and make new friends Soda will help you with that.  Would you like that"
SunnyFerret asked her, "are you ready to let me take care of you for a
while and help mend you broken heart?"
 
Big tears rolled down the little girl ferret's face at the realization
that she would not be returning to her earth mom.  She had not known her
new mom for very long but she brought with her many wonderful memories
of the time they had shared together.  Finally she shook her head yes,
she was ready.
 
Soda gently scooped up the little girl ferret and held her close to him.
He promised her he would take good care of her and when she was ready he
would take her to the rainbow to peek in on her mom and send all her love
and prayers .  "Wizzie, just as you carry yur mom's love in yur heart,
yur mom carries the scent of yur love in hers.  She never forgets you
and she will comes one day to get you and takes you home wiff her, I
pwomise."
 
If anyone had taken a close look at SodaFerret's handsome face, they
would have seen he had big tears of love rolling down his cheeks for the
wee-one he now carried in his paws.  "Wets go home Wizzie" he whispered
to her, "wets go home."
 
~~Muldoone~~
Caring for your ferrets at the Rainbow Bridge.
 
http://mrmuldoone.bravehost.com/index.html
[Posted in FML issue 5142]