"Otter!!!" The six-pack of ferrets screamed in unison, nearly knocking him
over in their rush to give him hugs and kisses.
  "We missed you so much!" Maxie exclaimed with very sincere eyes, hugging
him like the little brown bear that she was.
  "I missed you too," Otter answered with drooping, sad eyes.
  "What's wrong Otter?"  Shiva asked.  "You seem tired or something."
  "I am very weak," Otter replied.  "I will tell you what happened but first
I need you to fill up the bathtub for me.  It will renew my strength."
  "Sure," Rosie stated, and ran as fast as her little paws could carry her
up the stairs and into the bathroom.
  "Come on, Otter," Sammi offered as her and Tony helped him into the house
and slowly up the stairs.
  "Ahhhh," He said as he lay on his back in the lukewarm water.  "This feels
much better!  Thank you dear ferrets so much!  These tired bones of mine are
in much need of rejuvination!"
  "Why?"  Cleo asked.  "What happened to you?"
  "Otter,"  Maxie declared.  "This is our new sister Cleopatra."
  "Pleased to meet you,"  Otter smiled.
  "My name is Tony!"  Said the boy ferret to Otter.  "I'm new too at the
Doyle Zoo!"
  "Nice to meet you as well, Tony," Otter answered warmly.  "Where is little
Miss Wiggles?"
  "Ummm...." Rosie started.
  "She must be resting, right?" Otter guessed.
  "No," Maxie said sadly.  "She crossed over to the Rainbow Bridge a while
ago."
  "I am very sad to hear that news," Otter said.  "She was a precious lady,
that one."
  "She was a fine ferret," Maxie agreed.
  "We miss her a whole lot," Sammi added, tears welling in her eyes.
  "She is in a good place," Otter declared.  "You must not feel bad for her.
She will be fine there."
  "Really?" Rosie asked.
  "Yes," Otter assured her.  "She has many of God's creatures there to play
with and keep her company."
  "Knowing our Miss Wiggles," Shiva added.  "She is probably throwing tea
parties every afternoon!"
  "And doing her Wiggles-dance!" Sammi agreed.
  "So why are you here?" Rosie asked.  "Not that we don't want you here.
It's just that you have never visited us before."
  "Let me show you..." Otter offered, parting the waters in the tub with his
paws to reveal a blurry image that became clearer as the seconds passed.
  "Woah!"  Sammi exclaimed.  "It's like television!"
  "Yes," Otter replied, looking at the picture in the water before him as it
changed from nothingness to a very distinct reflection of a huge, black
dragon with evil eyes and long, sharp horns on it's head.
  "What is that?!" Rosie shouted, nearly knocking over the other ferrets as
she jumped in the air a foot or two.
  "This is Snarl!"  Otter answered.  "He is wreaking havok in the forest.  I
need your help to get rid of him."
  "It couldn't be true..." Maxie mumbled under her breath.
 
              (to be continued....)
[Posted in FML issue 1916]