No. 421 and Oliver were taking the day off. The two had worked hard
all summer, and the Farm Stand was packed with fresh garden vegetables.
The two were just sitting down on lawn chairs enjoying the last of the
summer heat, when there was a flutter of wings and Blue Bird flew in
landing on her special perch. She had a ticket in her beak.

"Hi Oliver and No. 421," she chirped. "The Receiving Angel sent me up
with his latest request. You have a big cinnamon ferret crossing and
he has family here."

No. 421 took the ticket and thought a minute. "Oliver," he said. "Go
over to the Field of Dreams, near the bend in the stream. I think that
compound belongs to Katrina's ferrets. Bruno and Rufus were up to the
stand yesterday and bought raisins for a soup Valerie was making. Tell
them to come up to the bridge as soon as possible, their brother Vinnie
is here."

Oliver put down his book and got up and stretched. He shook his hair
into place and started off on his mission. He took a big bag of raisins
to drop off at Bakin' Berthas. Those cute waitresses would enjoy them
and think of him.

Down by the stream, Bruno and Rufus were putting the finishing touches
on the new room they had added to their compound when Oliver came
around the corner. He was just finishing a paw print cookie. Those
girls sure could cook.

"Hey Dude," Oliver shouted. "You be Bruno?"

"Why yes I am," the big ferret shouted back. "Whazzup Oliver?"

"Your brother Vinnie is here," Oliver said. "No. 421 asked me to come
and get you to help greet him."

Bruno let out a big hoop and called to Valerie to come with them to the
bridge. Since coming to the Bridge, she had learned to cook, and was
making raisin soup. Putting the soup on the back burner, the four
ferrets started back to the bridge at a trot. Bruno was out in front
and Rufus was running a close second. Oliver stopped and waited for
Valerie. He took her paw and helped her up the hill. Boy, she was as
cutie. Maybe all that hand kissing wasn't what it was supposed to be.

The four ferrets were in sight of the bridge when No. 421 got out of
his chair and was shaking paws with a big cinnamon ferret carrying a
big sack with something with lots of legs on it. She stepped closer for
a better look.

Vinnie turned around, took her paw and swinging her up on his shoulder,
he kissed her cheek. "Hi Val" he said. "Boy have I missed you. Hi,
Bruno and Rufus. This is wonderful. I have missed you all so much, and
I have a message for you from Mom. She said she loves you all very much
and she thinks about you all the time and she misses you very much."

No. 421 stepped forward and said they could send a message back if they
wanted to. Valerie had a tear in her eye. She missed her Mom very much.

"Mr. No. 421," she said. "Could I tell my Mom I love her too?" Valerie
said. "I could tack it on the back of Vinnie message."

Shooting Star came up and said she would take kisses and a message back
to earth from everyone. It's not a problem for me," she said.

"Tell my mom I arrived safe and am now with family," Vinnie said.
"Bruno and Rufus have made a beautiful home and Valerie misses you and
cooks and keeps house for her brothers. I'm going to live with them
while we wait for you."

Vinnie came over to Shooting Star. "You have that correct," he said.
"Our Mom will love it. Thank you so very much."

No. 421 and Oliver said their goodbyes and started toward home. Oliver
turned to wave at Valerie. She smiled and twitched her whiskers and
putting her paw around Vinnie, the four ferrets started home to their
mound and a hot bowl of soup.

"We finished that new room just in time," Rufus said. "We were going
to make it into a family room, but now that you are here, it can be
your room and you can help us build another."

Vinnie was beginning to feel at home already. He missed his Mom
Katrina, but she would like the kisses and message he had sent.

Oliver and No. 421 arrived home at their cabin, and Oliver put the
kettle on for tea. Fall was coming and it was a bit nippy tonight. No.
421 wrote in his logbook. Mission accomplished with hardly any work at
all. The four were a close-knit family on earth, and up here, Vinnie
just fit right in. He'll be fine till his Mom comes for them.

He closed his book and leaning back in his chair, took a sip piping
hot ferretone tea. Oliver was thinking he might bring some raisins to
Valerie. He bet she could make cookies too.

[Posted in FML 6816]