Night had settled over the Meadow of Dreams and No. 421 blew out the
lamp and settled down to go to sleep. He had just drifted off when
there was a knock on his door. No. 421 snuggled down deeper; the knock
became louder.

"No. 421 -- is you asleep yet," Oliver shouted. "Get up, we has a late
night arrival -- the Receiving Angel came up himself to get me and tell
me to find you."

"I'm comin' I'm comin' hold on a minute," No. 421 called back.

He opened the door and Oliver rushed in. "You has gotta get dressed,"
Oliver said. "You can't greet anyone in that outfit."

No. 421 rubbed the sleep from his eyes and shuffled towards the closet.
He was still half asleep when he pulled on his clothes. Splashing cold
water on his face, he brushed his hair and because he slept with a
night hat on, his cowlick was standing up like an antenna. He wet it
once, pushed it down, and then gave up.

"Hurry up," Oliver said. "This arrival be here very soon."

Poor No. 421, he rushed up the path trying to keep up with Oliver.
He almost collided with the Receiving Angel who was standing in the
shadows.

"The Boss told me to wait until you got here," the Angel said. "This
be a late crossing and everyone else was in bed. You're here now so
I'm going back."

No. 421 thanked the Angel and slipped into his chair just as the bridge
began to creak, and the Angel drifted away. A pretty little girl was
trudging over the bridge, looking around and sniffing.

"Hello" she said. "Where am I, this is a strange place, no lights, no
cars, where is everybody?"

No. 421 rose up out of his chair and smiled down at her pretty face.

"Welcome to the Rainbow Bridge," No. 421 said. "I am the Bridge Greeter
for tonight, and this is Oliver my currier. We were all in bed when we
heard you were coming, so no one is around to greet you. Now don't you
cry. What is your name?"

I'm Luci, and I was very sick, my Mom took me to the clinic, and now I
am here," Luci said. "I must have gotten lost. My Momma told me not to
talk to strangers so thank you but will you show me the way home?"

"You cannot go back to earth," No. 421 said. "This is your new home,
and you will have to stay here until your Mom comes for you."

"I can't stay here, I need a home," Luci said, and she looked like she
might cry again.

No. 421 called a passing star to step down for a moment.

"Luci, tell this star that you have arrived at the Rainbow Bridge and
give him a kiss for your house mate Angel," No. 421 said. "He will take
your message, sealed with a kiss, back to earth for you. That way, your
hooman family will know you are okay with us."

Luci stood up on her tippy toes and whispered something to the star.

"Of course you can," he said and blinked brightly twice.

He folded his points around her and the two sailed up high and over
the Meadow of Dreams twice and back to the bridge. Luci then whispered
something else in the stars ear, and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

He blushed a very light pink, turned on one point, and left on his
mission.

Luci smiled and told No. 421 she saw a light in the meadow, and maybe
someone was up.

No. 421 knew that Bertha, one of the older ferrets, had been doing
some late baking and decided to take Luci down for the night. Maybe
she could stay with Bertha until he could find her a mound.

Bertha had just taken some raisin drops out of her oven when No. 421
knocked on her door.

"Baking Bertha, I has a new arrival and wondered if you could put
little Luci up for the night," No. 421 said. "I need to go back and
it is very dark. I'll find her a mound in the morning.""

"Baking Bertha sat Luci down with a glass of milk and some of her
cookies. She put some more in a paper sack for No. 421.

"My rhumatis has been bothering me something awful," Bertha said.
"That be why I be baking tonight. That sweet child can stay right
here with me, forever. I be needing someone to give me a paw."

Luci smiled happily as she reached for another cookie. Bertha handed
No. 421 a Survival Sack of cookies to help him home, and told him to
be sure to save two for Oliver.

Thinking of his nice warm bed, No. 421 hurried home. Luci and Bertha
sat up until the wee hours getting acquainted, and the shooting star,
still blushing, delivered his message and decided not to wash his
cheek tonight.

As No. 421 climbed back into his bed wiping raisin cookie crumbs from
his chin, he smiled, another mission completed satisfactorily.

[Posted in FML 6128]