One fine day in early spring, in a small town somewhere nestled in the heart
of the mighty redwoods, there lived six young ferrets who were home alone
and looking for something to do...again.  Their humans (Mom, Dad, and Uncle
Steve) were away to college for the day, and the house was all theirs.
 
"What are we going to do today?" Maxie questioned.  She was a traditional
sable with a heart of gold and big feelings.  She looked like a little bear
and had the best odor from her scent glands than any ferret in the house.
 
"I don't know," Shiva replied.  She was a chocolate sable and she looked
like a fluffy, little fuzzball.  She loved her Uncle Steve most of all
because he let her sleep with him at night.
 
"Let's do some bad stuff," Rosie suggested.  She was a siamese and was the
leader of the pack in this home.  She was temperamental and bossy, but deep
within she had a tender heart.
 
"I want to eat," Tony declared, searching for treats.  Tony was a brand new
addition to the Doyle Zoo, which is what this house was nicknamed, for there
were many animals here besides the ferrets.  There were frogs, salamanders,
hamsters, lizards, geckos, newts, and fish.  Tony was a big, bouncing boy
who was silver and curious about everything going on around him.
 
"Me too," Cleo agreed.  She was new as well to this place.  Tony and her
were litter mates.  They came from the same ferret mother, but now they live
here.  Cleo was a panda ferret, and if she got too exited, she was a feisty
little woman!
 
"I want to play," Sammi chimed in.  She was a siamese, and she used to be
very scared of everyone, but now she doesn't get scared no more at all.  Mom
always said that sammi was everything that is good in this world.  So there
you have it...These six ferrets roamed the house freely, and they loved each
other very much.  They were a family, and like most family, they argued
sometimes, but most of the time they got along fine.  So on this day in
early spring, well...they were looking for another adventure, and one just
happened to come knocking on their door...
 
"Who was that?" Maxie stated, running to the front door with the others
following her.
 
"Yeah,"  Rosie added.  "Who's knocking?"
 
"It's me," A familiar and faint voice called from outside.
 
"Otter?" Shiva inquired.
 
"Hurry," Maxie declared.  "Let him in..." So all six of the ferrets climbed
on top of each others shoulders and the one on top unlocked the door handle
and turned it.  The door creaked open, to reveal their friend Otter, lying
on the doormat on the porch.
 
                  (to be continued...)
[Posted in FML issue 1853]