(following is the story I first created in 2004, and by now it should
be a neat little classic, at least among all of us. There are old and
new pictures of The Santa Ferret at the web site link at the bottom of
this message. For first-timers please print it out and enjoy reading
this one to the kids and grandkids. :)

Little Secret, The Santa Ferret, By Susie Lee

Oh, sure, everyone knows Santa's obvious animal friends, the reindeer,
and all their names and most of their magickal attributes, but did you
ever know about Santa's best little Ferret friend? Well, maybe not
before now, because little Secret has been, well, Santa's special
little Secret! A little white ferret who likes to snuggle up under the
beard (fluffs it out nicely, too! :) or curl warmly under his hat, or
even blend in with that wooly white collar and "Secret"-ly watch out
for Santa's back while he's unpacking you-know-what for good children
on you-know-when!

Little Secret is a magickal ferret, of course, and has been with Santa
since the very "beginning", bequeathed to the Jolly Old Elf by a
grateful farmwife from centuries and centuries ago. Secret's special
magick is in helping Santa get into houses with no chimneys by
squeezing flatter than flat under the tightest door (much flatter than
not-as-magickal ferrets who so dearly love to try to squeeze under any
doors they can fit. ) and leaping with a magickally merry extra-high
ferret-bounce to touch his little nose to any lock so that it will open
for Santa and then close and re-lock safely afterwards. (Aha! say all
the city-folks, Now we know how Santa gets into umpteen-gazillion
apartments! He had a special Secret, all along!) .

Ah, but how did we ferret out Santa's Little Secret?

All our ferrets did it...knowing a magick ferret when they sense one,
nearly every ferret tail in the shelter went merrily a-wagging with
excitement and joy until Little Secret swiftly touched a friendly nose
in greeting to every one. Then , as quick as a ferret, Little Secret
raced back to Santa and in a blink was back up to blend around his
white wooly collar, with a little tail-wag farewell of his own to wave
back. So take good care of all your ferret friends...they know a Little
Secret!

(See pictures of Santa and Little Secret here...
http://www.angelfire.com/theforce/ferret_rescuer/index.html
there's an extra-large picture of Santa with Little Secret and a
Rainbow Bridge Blue Angel on Santa's shoulder for all those who
have passed On up into Heaven.)

With Love to All,
from Susie Lee

[Posted in FML 6895]