Early morning at the Bridge and Muldoone was still snoozing in his hammy.
He and the guys had pulled off another surprise which for the most part
was a successful flannel nightgown raid on the girls the night before.
It had been a long dry spell and they had been itching to get their paws
on some nice flannel.  Knowing all the girls slept in flannel nightgowns,
the guys knew exactly where to go to get what they wanted.  Now the trick
was to keep Nanna from finding out about it.  That Nanna, she was forever
spoiling the fun of Mully and his buddies.
 
Nanna went storming into Muldoone's hut not bothering to knock.  She
grabbed the side of his hammy and gave it a hard YANK and Mully found
himself flat on the floor landing with a resounding THUD.  Upon opening
his eyes, he saw none other than his boss Nanna standing over him
staring her best glare stare.
 
"Sworry Nanna, I twies to tells em we not need dat many nightiegowns, we
takes em all back, I pwomise" Muldoone stammered to his boss.
 
"Muldoone what are you talking about, I am not here about any nightgowns
but if I find you and your friends were on another nightgown raid you are
going to be in big trouble, you promised me the last time there would be
NO MORE flannel nightgown raids.  What I am here about is a greeting you
have due this morning and you should have already been up and on your
way to the Bridge.  Get up and get yourself moving young man, time is
wasting" Nanna told him.
 
Muldoone arrived at the Bridge and was surprised to find SodaFerret
already there.  "Whatcha be doin here Soda?" Muldoone asked him.
 
"Nanna tells me to be here to helps you gweet da two fewets dat be comin
dis mornin" SodaFerret told him.  "I be doing as I be told to do."
 
Not long after arriving at the Bridge, the lights over the rainbow began
to dance and swirl; colors more beautiful than ever seen on earth now
painted the sky.  The colors blended and then changed again; shades of
pink gave way to peach and yellows then changed to a soft green that
blended into a soft blue that gave itself over to shades of lavender.
A delicate fairy dusting began to swirl all around Muldoone confirming a
new arrival was only moments away.
 
Muldoone felt the pain of the two on earth who were leaving their bodies
behind and embarking on a new journey.  For the wee-ones below, they
were leaving sickly bodies and making their way to a better place; a
place free of all pain and illness but to a place that would separate
them from those they loved so much.
 
Muldoone closed his eyes and began to concentrate with all his might, his
heart sending love to light the way for the ferrets who had departed
earth and were on their way to the Bridge.  Still standing with his eyes
closed tightly concentrating and guiding Bob and Suki on their path,
SodaFerret began his song of love for the two making their way among the
stars.  The voice was deep and rich, every note sang perfectly, every
word wrapped in love for the ferrets who were coming.  Soda stood all
alone singing a song of love for the two, The Ferret Promise Song now
filled the air with its bittersweet refrain.  The beautiful melody told
the story of hope and promise and also of sorrow and loss, all tied
together in the cycle of life.  It sang of pain fading away, of limbs
being made strong again, and eyes once more bright, Soda sang of the
pain and sorrow associated with passing, he told the story of the broken
hearts left behind, and of the joy for each ferret in the Promise given
by the Creator.  At the moment of each ferret's passing the Creator
gently took each one into His thundering velvet right hand and whispered
to their hearts "I knew you before you were ever a ferret, I knew you
while you were on earth, and now you have returned to Me.  Rest now
wee-one, you are home, come and start your new journey that begins at
the Bridge."
 
Both Bob and Suki felt the earth began to fall away from them.  They
felt they were tumbling into nothingness.  At first each ferret was
frightened, not knowing what was happening or where they were going.
Now each ferret felt a new warmth of love and guidance as the Ferret
Promise Song was being sung for them.  The sad sweet melody swirled all
around them and they felt they were being cradled in the warmth of love
and protection.  A beautiful soft voice whisper to their hearts, "come
home wee-one, we are waiting for you."  The melody was now awash in their
heart and they no longer feared letting go.  Thoughts were centered on
those they loved most, their tiny hearts whispered a message to those
they were leaving behind, I loves you mommy and daddy but it be time for
me to go, I pwomise to waits for you.
 
The flash of light subsided and then Mully heard the unmistakable sound
of ferrety feets coming across the time-worn planks of the Rainbow
Bridge; the Moonbeam Molly Express having delivered two ferrets whose
time on earth had been cut short.
 
Watching the newcomers taking cautious steps coming across the Bridge,
Muldoone recognized the uncertainties the new arrivals must be feeling.
So many ferrets arrived at the Bridge afraid, sad to be away from their
familees, even a few had arrived and were angry about coming to the
Bridge, and they felt they had not had nearly enough time on earth with
their hoomans.
 
Watching the two new arrivals making their way across the Bridge,
Muldoone blushed red with embarrassment under his thick fur, the two
ferrets coming were both such handsome fuzzies, Bob a sable ferret with a
pristine white bib and Suki a beautiful silver fuzzy.  Always mindful of
his hammy-head-hair Mully hoped they wouldn't notice he had fur sticking
out from under his cap going in e very direction but in truth, who could
miss it?  Generally Muldoone was the first ferret newcomers saw when
they arrived at the Bridge, some ferrets accepted him just as he was,
bad hair and all, and others liked to tease him about it.
 
"Hello, I be Mr. Muldoone, officialist Wainbow Bwidge Gweeter" he told
the new arrivals, "welcomes to da Bwidge.  Your names be Bob and Suki?"
Mully asked them.
 
For a long time neither ferret said anything, they just stared at all the
new sights before them, they stood holding paws as if they were drawing
strength from one another.
 
Finally Bob spoke exclaiming how good he felt.  "I bees an old fewet
afore I comes here" he announced "but I not feels old now."
 
"And I hads a belly ache and da dock-tor opens my belly and fixted what
be wong inside" Suki told Muldoone.
 
"We are all made young and healffy whens we come here, it be da Boss"
Mully explained to them.
 
"Dere be wots to do here, we gots da Otter Swide, Wessle-Mania, da Fruit
Bar, Chicken Gwavy Pond, da Soc Steal Course, Dirt Mountain and wots
more" Muldoone chattered on and on.
 
"And I shows you how to sneaks back when yur familee be sweeping and you
can gives dem whiskery kisses.  Yur familee never forgets you, dey
carries you in deir heart forever and always" Mully told them.
 
"We would wike dat" Bob stated speaking for them both, "we misses our
familees a wot."
 
"Bob and Suki" Soda began, "yur loved ones sends a special message of
wove for you boff.  Dey tells how dey gots you, and what you be wike to
lives wiff and how much dey woves you.  Yur familees be very sads dat
you be gone from dem on earf."
 
Muldoone spent a good portion of the rest of the day showing the new
arrivals around at the Rainbow Bridge and getting them settled in.  Soda
took Bob and Suki to the edge of the rainbow and showed them how to peek
in on their families.  As they were looking in on those they left behind
on earth, it was clear there were still tears being shed for the two
ferrets.  Bob took Suki's paw in his and together they whispered a
prayer of love to their families promising they would wait for the day
everyone would be reunited.  In time the ache within the hearts would
heal but the love would never fade away.
 
~~Muldoone~~
Caring for your ferrets at the Rainbow Bridge.
http://mrmuldoone.bravehost.com/index.html
[Posted in FML issue 5145]