Bridge Greeter No. 421 was just finishing up his cereal when there was
a knock on his cabin door.

"Hey, is you up," Little Oliver called. "I has a note from the Boss,
we has to look for a sweet little thing called Honey. She came through
a week ago, and we did not greet her."

No. 421 wiped his whiskers smoothed his hair down and opened the door.
"Honey you say," he said. "Sweet little thing -- hummmmm how did we
miss that?"

The two friends hurried to the bridge, but there was no one there. They
walked down to where the Receiving Angel was writing in his book.

"Ahem, errr ahem," said No. 421. "Did a sweet little girl come through
here last week?" I did not get a notice, and I missed her."

The Receiving Angel looked at the two ferrets and said in a soft voice.
"There was a little girl in last week, but she was so shy and timid,
and she was only 3 1/2 years old, that I just took her to the Meadow
of Dreams myself. She did not want anyone to know she was here. When
we got there, it started to rain, and there was a loud roll of thunder.
She bolted away and I could not find her."

The two ferrets ran back to the Meadow of Dreams and began their search
for Honey. The smell of honey-baked cookies wafted over the grass and
No. 421 and Oliver both had the same thought. Baking Bertha is making
cookies, with honey, lets try her first.

As the two friends approached the door of the bungalow, they could hear
Baking Bertha talking to someone.

"That's right Honey Chil'" Baking Bertha said. "You just put a paw
print on dat cookie and we pop it in the oven. When yer brother Squeak
gets here, we will have something yummie for him."

No. 421 knocked on the door, "Come in," called Baking Bertha. " Hi No.
421, what can I do for you? Meet my new helper, her name is Honey, and
I found her hiding behind the bushes in my yard last week. She is new
here; she was hungry, and such a sweet thing. She tasted some of my
cooking and said she would like to learn to bake. So here we are having
a grand time."

No 421 looked at the cute little girl ferret. Man she was a beauty, and
now she could cook. How did he miss this one? He would have to pay more
attention to the incoming posts.

"Ah, er, hmm, Mz Honey, could I have a word with you?" No. 421 said.
Why was he stuttering, why was he not thinking about what he was going
to say?

Honey peeked around Baking Berthas apron and said he could.

"I am Bridge Greeter No. 421, and I has a message from your human Mama
for you," he said. "She said she loves you, and she misses you, and she
would like you to find your brother squeak. She wants the two of you to
wait here with Jeep till she comes for you all."

Honey came out from behind Baking Bertha's apron and said she had told
Baking Bertha all about Squeak and they were baking cookies for him.
Baking Bertha had sent the little ferret next door to find Squeak and
he was expected here at any moment.

The oven timer went off, and Honey rushed over to the stove. Baking
Bertha had opened the oven door, and the smell of honey chip cookies
was overwhelming. No. 421 and Oliver just stood there.

Honey put the fresh baked cookies on a plate and put them on the table.
She slipped a few extra ones in a paper bag and, taking Baking Bertha's
paw, walked over to No. 421.

"Here are a few for you and your friend," she said in a soft sweet
voice. "Thank you for coming to look for me, but Baking Bertha and I
are going to be setting up a bakery. Take this home with you, and maybe
you will come back again. I am very happy here, and Baking Bertha and
I will be out and about as soon as Squeak and I catch up on old times.
We want him to work delivering our cookies through out the field."

With that said and still holding onto Baking Bertha's paw, she gave No.
421 the paper bag, and stood on her tiptoes and placed a soft kiss on
his cheek.

No. 421 and Oliver started back down the path to No. 421's cabin. On
the way, they passed two of their old friends, Squeak and Jeep. They
were hurrying to Baking Bertha's house for cookies and ferretone tea.
All No. 421 could say was Hi, he was still thinking about Honey.

As the sun set at the Rainbow Bridge the two friends reached the path
home. Dooking and chuckling could be heard coming from Baking Bertha's
house. No. 421 gently touched his cheek and smiled. She was a cutie,
and he would be back to buy more of her Paw Print cookies, he was sure
of it.

Late that night he sighed again, licked the crumbs from his whiskers
and wrote in his logbook - Mission completed with help from Baking
Bertha.

[Posted in FML 6204]