It was early morning at de Bridge. In fact much too early for
SaraFerret to be up and about. She was still sound asleep in her
hammie. There was a knock at her cottage door; no answer; then a
louder knock; finally de door swung open and in flew Dexter, de little
boy courier, with a note in his paw. With one swish he twisted poor
SaraFerret out of her hammie, and she fell to de floor (fortunately
dere was a lot of padding dere). He said,

"SawaFewwet, a fewwet is cwossing de bwidge and here you is just
sleeping your life away. You is a bwidgegweeter and you should know
better. You has better gets to work and gover dere and gweet de fewwet
before she gets lost and wanders off someplace. Now is dere anything
you wants me to do."

As I picked myself off de floor, I restrained myself from batting
Dexter upside de head. I stood up an put my paw around his shoulder and
said, "Dear Dexter, it is quite early in de morning. Don't ya think it
wold have been better for you to come gently into my cottage and just
woke me nice-like instead of twisting my hammie like ya did." Well
Dexter just looked at me like he usually did rather puzzled-like and
sighed. (Oh well I thought, at least I keep trying to change him, but
it looks like I never will.) Den I asked him to fetch de requested
fuzzies and I headed for de entrance.

I was just in time to see her at de entrance, so I quickly introduced
myseslf,

"Hi I am SaraFerret and I am de bridgegreeter. Welcome to de Rainbow
Bridge. Dis is your new forever home. Here you will have no more pain
or suffering. You will have no more pain or suffering. You will run on
green grass forever and have lotsa friends. Did I mention de fun and
games?"

She looked at me and said, "Well I have had such a long journey here.
My name is Harriet and I belong to Mommy Helen. Do you know her and her
shelter? I had such fun at her place and I used to play and I got sick
for a while and then I got well but then I got real sick again. I had
so many playmates there. I don't see any other ferrets here but you,
but I guess you and I can play together. I can play with anybody who
will play with me. Will you be my friend?"

"Harriet" I replied. "Of course, I will be happy to be your friend. But
if you will be patient for a bit, I have a surprise for you, in fact a
couple of surprises. Now I don't know your Mommy personally, but I have
heard lots about her. I bet you did have lotsa playmates. I notice dat
you are carrying such a heavy backpack. Would you mind showing me what
you have in it?"

Well Harriet being de loving soul she was said she didn't mind at all.
She quickly unzipped her secret backpack (you see unlike humans ferrets
can take anything they can carry inside dere packs when dey cross de
bridge). and took out one crocheted egg and one tiny stuffed toy. Den
she said, "I sure hope Mommy didn't mind me taking these. She had a
lot more." I admired them and she said she would share them with her
friends if and when she found any and den she carefully put dem back
into de pack.

And then all of a sudden from de shadows came Mandy who yelled,
"Surprize! Guess what Harriet you are gonna get wings just like me
and SaraFerret has. Except you are gonna get your own special pair."
Harriet was so shocked to see her friend and dere was a brief reunion
of hugs.

But den we headed down de path toward de Wing House where de wings were
stored. We opened de door and on de counter was a big box (of course).
Harriet opened de box and took out de wings--bright blue with black
streaks. Mandy helped her put on de wings and I adjusted her halo. Den
she ran to de big vanity mirror and gazed at her reflection. My she was
such a lovely fuzzy. Den she turned to me and said, "Gee I wish Mommy
could see me now." Den I gots an idea.

We started out de door. And we were met by Ruthie, Roxanne, Tina, Boaz,
and Little Princess. Another brief reunion. We headed on down de path
to de Misting Pond and sat down beside de cool clear water and with
one swish the vision of Mommy Helen appeared. Harriet got so excited
dat she started waving and dooking with all of her might.

"I love you so much Mommy. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for
rescuing me. Thank you for taking care of me and holding me so close.
I don't hurt anymore. I found my friends. I have wings now and soon I
will be able to fly. I took a couple of things with me. I hope you
don't mind."

Den she started throwing hugs and kisses and wrapped dem with all of
her love and laid dem on a nearby shooting star which was headed to
your house and by de time you should read dis it should have landed
dere. And with another swish de vision was gone.

We left dere and went on down de road to dere Cottage--my it was a
big place. Music was playing and fuzzies were dancing. Some of dem
recognized Harriet and ran out to greet her. We went into de cottage
where food was laid out--oh de usual chocolate ice cream, m&ms,sweet
iced tea, cold pepsis, all dose things forbidden on earth. Harriet
showed all de fuzzies de two things she had brought from home and all
admired and oohed and ahhed over dem. I was still very tired, so I
said my goodbyes. Harriet, at last, had found her new forever home.

So ended another greeting at de Rainbow Bridge.

Lovey and hugs,
SaraFerret, bridgegreeter

[Posted in FML 6341]