Feeling a yank on his hammy and hoping he was dreaming but with a second
yank, Mully knew someone had interrupted his nap.
 
"Muldoone get up, we have an upcoming greeting to discuss"
Mully opened his eyes to see Nanna standing over him.
 
"Ok Nanna, gives me a minute" and Mully goes into a prolonged yawn and
stretch.  He then stretched and yawned more, and then more, and more,
and more, and yet more.
 
Just as he was going into another leg of his yawn-and-stretch marathon he
heard the booming voice of Nanna: "Muldoone I am not getting any younger
here" and Mully knew that meant it was time to cut the stretches and
yawns short, Nanna was loosing her patience with him.
 
"Ok Nanna, I bees up, so tells me bout da gweeting" Mully told her
yawning and rubbing his eyes with his velvety paws.
 
"Muldoone, we have a very special little ferret due to arrive today.  Her
name is Emmie Lou and the Boss has decided you, Soda, and myself will be
greeting her" Nanna told him.
 
"You means Soda dat be Mz SunnyFewet's assistannences?" Muldoone asked.
 
"Assistant Muldoone, the word is assistant and yes I am talking about
Soda, SunnyFerret's assistant" Nanna told him.  "I need time to fill
you in about her and we have to stop and get Soda so lets get moving"
his boss told him.
 
Going to his "necessary corner" and then trying to tame his unruly fur
only to loose another battle with his hammy-head-hair.  "Why da Boss not
fixes my hair....." Mully mumbled to himself.
 
Arriving at the Rainbow Bridge to greet the newcomer, Muldoone and Nanna
took their place and Nanna showed Soda where to stand.
 
The lights over the Bridge began to dance and swirl; colors more
beautiful than ever seen on earth now painted the sky.  The colors
blended and then changed again; shades of pink gave way to peach and
yellows then changed to a soft green that blended into a delicate blue
that gave itself over to shades of lavender.  A fine soft fairy dusting
began to swirl all around the Bridge greeters as they stood their watch.
 
Muldoone and Nanna closed their eyes and began to concentrate with all
their might, their hearts sending love and strength to the ferret who had
departed earth and was on her way to the Bridge.  Still standing with his
eyes closed tightly concentrating on Emmie and helping to guide her along
the path, Muldoone heard the most beautiful soft melody being sung.  The
voice was deep and rich, every note sang perfectly, every word wrapped in
love for the ferret who was coming.  The Ferret Promise Song now filled
the air with its bittersweet refrain.  The beautiful melody told the
story of hope and promise and also of sorrow and loss, all tied together
in the cycle of life.  It sang of pain fading away, of limbs being made
strong again, and eyes once more bright, it told of the sorrow of passing
and the joy waiting in the Promise.
 
Emmie felt the earth began to fall away and she felt she was tumbling
into nothingness.  At first she was frightened, not knowing what was
happening or where she was going.
 
Emmie Lou felt a new warmth of love and guidance as the Ferret Promise
Song was being sung for her by Soda.  The sad sweet melody swirled all
around her and she felt she was being cradled in the warmth of love and
protection.  A beautiful soft voice whisper to her, "come home wee-one,
we are waiting for you." The melody was now awash in her heart and she no
longer feared letting go.  Thoughts were centered on those she cared for
and would miss, her tiny heart whispered a message those she loved most;
I loves you mommy and daddy but it be time for me to goes, I pwomise to
waits for you.
 
Muldoone strained to listen but he didn't hear the usual sound of ferrety
feets coming across the planks of the Rainbow Bridge, instead he heard
the steady clop-clop-clop-clop of horses' hooves.
 
MoonBeam Molly stepped off the end of the Rainbow Bridge and the three
Bridge greeters could see she was very solemn and upon closer inspection,
the beautiful gentle white unicorn was crying, Molly had streams of tears
rolling down her beautiful face.  This was a most unusual arrival of a
ferret, normally the new arrival was brought to the Bridge by MoonBeam
Molly but then they crossed the planks to the other side on their own.
Something told Muldoone there was indeed something very special about the
one they were there to greet.
 
"Good morning Molly, I see you have brought us something" Nanna said to
the unicorn.
 
MoonBeam Molly spoke with what Muldoone thought was the most beautiful
clear gentle voice he had ever heard.  You could not only hear the love
in her voice for the one she had brought, but love and gentleness seemed
to radiate from her.  Being in the presence of this wondrous creature,
Muldoone could smell the scent of jasmine, magnolias, and honeysuckle
that seemed to all blend delicately together and surround the beautiful
unicorn in a strange kind of mist.
 
"Good morning Nanna, Muldoone, and Soda" Molly told them, "yes I have
very special passenger; she is the newest resident to the Rainbow
Bridge."
 
Lowering herself to the ground, the beautiful white unicorn very gently
unfolded her second set of smaller wings that had cradled her precious
cargo, keeping the newcomer safe and secure for the flight from her world
to the Rainbow Bridge.
 
After a bit the three Bridge greeters saw a tiny head peek over the edge
of the basket and then quickly duck back down again.
 
Slowly approaching the basket which held the newcomer, Nanna spoke first,
"Emmie, my name is Nanna and we have come to welcome you to the Rainbow
Bridge.  There is nothing to be afraid of, no one here will hurt you, you
are among friends."
 
Poking her head up just enough to see over the rim of the basket, Emmie
gathered her courage and stood up in the basket.  At first she blinked
her eyes in the morning light and then she smiled and spoke, "Mommy tells
me I will sees 'gain and she be right."
 
Slowly approaching MoonBeam Molly and reaching a paw up to Emmie, Soda
offered to help Emmie down from where she stood.  Climbing down out of
the basket, Muldoone could see she was wearing a backpack and he was
very curious about what she might have stashed in it.  Ferrets sometimes
brought goodies from home and occasionally Mully was able to talk one of
them into sharing with him.
 
"Hello again Emmie, I am Nanna" and this is Soda and Muldoone, we have
come to greet you."
 
"My mommy tells me 'bout dis pwace" Emmie told the trio of greeters "and
mommy fills up my backerpack wiff gud stuff to bwings." Emmie's eyes were
searching the small gatering of ferrets and at last her eyes stopped on
Muldoone, taking in his ball cap and the wild looking hair sticking out
from underneath at every angle.  "You be Misser Muldoone?" Emmie asked
him.
 
"Yes Emmers, I be Mr. Muldoone" Mully told the little girl ferret.
 
"My mommy tells me 'bout you and she sends sumptin I appose to gives to
you" Emmie Lou told Mully.
 
Motioning for Muldoone to bend down so Emmie could whisper in his ear she
informed him she had brought along some "Got To Be Glued" hair gelto help
with his hammy-head-hair problems.  "I bwings my favowite fwannel
nightiegown but you no can haves dat" she informed Mully.
 
"Emmie, we have a little surprise for you" Nanna told her, from what you
mom said you didn't really like other ferrets you lived with but you felt
maybe you might like Houie once you got here" Nanna told her.
 
"Yes Nanna, I wikes to see him, maybe I not be missin home so much iffins
he be here wiff me" Emmie told Nanna.
 
Emmie and Houdinie were reunited and there were lots of sniffs and
giggles.  Houdinie asked many many questions about how everyone was
doing, especially about how mom and dad were.  Houdinie was able to
convince Nanna to let him show Emmie around at the Bridge and he offered
to let her bunk with him for the time being.  One escourt no one was
counting on, it seems Soda was quite taken with Mz Emmie Lou and Soda
was quite the gentleman, very attentive to her every need, assisting
Emmie on her first day at the Bridge in any way she needed any help.
 
By the time the day was over Emmie was tuckered out and about all
she wanted was to curl up in her special throw from home her mommy had
sent along with her.  Thinking about it she began to tear up "it not be
da same wiffout mommy's hand inside it for me to lays my head" Emmie
told her pal Houie.
 
"It be da same" Houdinie told her.
 
"No it not be da same, dere be no mommy hand inside" Emmie told him.
 
"Just twies and sees" her friend told her.
 
Emmie pulled her throw out from the backpack and she worked and worked
getting it just the way she liked it and then she crawled inside it.
Within a few seconds there was a L O U D warhoop from inside and Emmie
came scrambling back out of it.  "Houie, Houie, you gots to sees dis!
Dere be a mommy hand inside!"
 
Looking through the tears, Emmie's friend Houdinie hugged her close
and proceeded to tell her how it was possible for the mommy hand to be
inside.  Houdinie had gone to talk to Nanna when he learned Emmie Lou
would be coming to the Bridge.  He told her all about Emmie, the special
throw and how Emmie would drag the mommy's hand inside it so she could
sleep with her head in the mommy hand and he asked Nanna if there was
some way the Boss could make a special "mommy hand" for Emmie.  Nanna
being Nanna, she went to see the Boss and the Boss being the Boss, He
went out to his special garden searching for the perfect cabbage leaf.
When He found just the right one, He picked it, formed it into a special
mommy hand and blessed it for Emmie Lou.  The little ferret loved her
mommy so much while on earth, they had a very special bond and now she
would at least have her special "mommy hand" at the Bridge with her until
the rest of mommy came to be with her.
 
~~Muldoone~~
Caring for your ferrets at the Rainbow Bridge.
 
http://www.geocities.com/muldooneferret/index.htm
[Posted in FML issue 5139]