The next several days passed in a blur of constant travel through blistering
heat and choking dust, interspersed with the brief coolness of cloudless
nights.  Josh liked the nights the best of all.  He, Jesus and their small
band of followers shared their meals, talked of the day's events, told
stories and slept together in the ebony coolness of the night, warmed by the
security of their small campfires and by the love they had come to have for
each other.
 
Josh could sense that something very important was going to happen soon.
The crowds that followed the tiny band grew larger with every passing day.
Many of the men who had followed Jesus since the beginning of His journey,
Judas in particular, became ill and gruff with the growing crowds - begged
Jesus to send them away.  Jesus never did.  Instead, He welcomed everyone
who came to Him, no matter what their reason for doing so.  Many wondrous
things happened as the small, but growing band passed through the villages
that nestled near to the infrequent oases that lined the way, ever nearer to
Jerusalem, the Holy City.
 
As they neared the city's gates, with a throng of thousands following their
every step, Josh felt every hair in his thick coat begin to bristle as if it
had been struck by lightning.  He was terrified and did not know why.
 
"Stop Master!" the small ferret cried as they entered the town.
 
"Something very bad will happen here.  I know it will.  Please, Jesus, let's
just go back to Bethlehem and visit your parents.  This is a bad place.
Please, Lord!  Let's, let's..."
 
The milling crowd began to laugh at the sight of the tiny ferret as he
bounced and cavorted at the Prophet's feet, emitting sounds that only other
ferrets or the gods could understand.
 
Most of the people had followed the travellers in search of the something
special that Jesus' words and deeds had promised.  Others were merely
curious, looking for an entertainment or a diversion.  Josh's antics, as he
danced, chittered and flipped around provided satisfaction to those who did
not understand what was about to happen, nor how it would affect them.
 
Jesus ignored the Hosanna's of most, the jeers of a few, as He bent down and
caught the wildly dancing, loudly protesting ferret in the calloused, yet
soft right hand of a carpenter and Savior.
 
"Peace, be still," Jesus whispered as He cradled the struggling, still
shrieking ferret close to His heart.
 
"This dread that you feel is real enough.  Terrible things will happen to Me
in the next few days to come, but they must be.  They have nothing to do
with you or with those who are like you.  You have no need of what I must do
now.  Indeed, the need to give the gift I am about to give was taught to Me
by those of your kind.  "These others, both those who praise Me and those
who jeer Me have much need of it.
 
"So, Little One.  Stay here and wait for Me until I return.  I won't be
long."
 
An exhausted shudder passed through Josh's soul as he felt himself being
gently lowered into the cool shadow of the front window of a small house.  A
very deep sorrow almost succeeded in overwhelming the natural joy that dwelt
in his heart.  His tail drooped, his whole being drooped as he watched his
life-long Friend and Master mount a small donkey and ride into the city on a
sea of palm branches.
 
"Hosanna!" he heard the throng cry.
 
"Hosanna!" his mind repeated to itself.  "If they only knew what they were
saying - what they really meant."
 
Josh lay there in the cool shadow of the window sill, his nose and whiskers
becoming one with the dust that was caked there, feeling the hopes of his
dreams, despairing in the loss that he felt - praying that his dreams were
true.
 
"Oh, Mommy!" he heard as his grief was interrupted.
 
"Look, Mommy.  There's a ferret on our window ledge.  He's so cute and
cuddly looking.  May I keep him, please?"
 
Hester whirled in anger and threw down the clay bowl that she was trying to
cleanse of the remnants of last night's stew.
 
"That's just what we need!  Another one of your useless pets to eat our food
and mess up my house."
 
Josh was about to run for cover when he found his eyes locked with those of
Miriam's mother.  Miriam cowered in expectation of the thrashing that she
knew would come.
 
"Uh, yes, Miriam." Hester found herself saying as she gazed into the joy and
hope of the ferret's small eyes.
 
"You may keep him, but only for a little while.  I have a feeling that his
real Owner will be back for him very soon."
 
Josh felt the love and comfort of two pairs of hands - one young and soft,
one old and blistered by the cares of life - as they lifted him from his
window perch and placed him upon a blanket of soft lamb's wool.
 
"Yes, my new friends," Josh thought as he drifted into a peaceful sleep.  My
Master will come back for me.  He'll come back for you too.  He's always
been here with us.  Always will be."
 
Josh slept.  He dreamed of his God and of His gifts.  He dreamed of the
ferrets who had lived before him.  He dreamed of many good things, of a Love
that could not be defined nor measured.  He dreamed of things to come.
 
The end? No, not really. It's up to us.
 
Joy to the World!
 
Happy Easter!
 
Paw Paw
[Posted in FML issue 1880]