As we rejoin the story...
It is a sunny August summer day in central Massachusets. The sunflowers
in the hoomin's vegetable garden show golden and brown faces above the
neat rows of beans and squash, and in the surrounding back yard the
white tailed deer browse on tender leaves and new berries deep in the
tangle of rhodendron and hemlock. The two neighbourhood owls have
returned, but sleep nervously, their heads tucked beneath their soft
wings. The field mice nibble the ripe seed heads growing in the long
grass. The air is sweet, and smells of pine and the wet sand ringing
the nearby pond.
In the dirt road in front the hoomin's house, a bright yellow four door
sedan pulled up slowly, the tires crunching on pebbles. There is a
plastic sign on the roof of the vehicle, and black lettering on the
sides that identfied the vehicle as part of the fleet belonging to
"Worcester Yellow Cab", complete with phone number. One of the back
doors opened, and the First Otter emerged, long and brown and glossy in
the bright sunshine. He was soon followed by the Second Otter, blinking
in the mid-day sun. Walking on land was obviously an awkward affair for
them, they both exhibited a waddling, shuffling gait. That would
probably have been due to the flippers.
The driver's side automatic window rolled down, and the First Otter
waddled over to it as the cab idled. The driver's voice emerged weakly,
saying "Go away." The First Otter replied in a deep voice "But sir,
there is the matter of payment for your fine service!" He then held up
a small red nylon zippered wallet in one brown, webbed paw for
emphasis. The cab's driver replied in turn "Just go away. I'm going to
pretend this never happened," and then the window rolled up and closed.
The engine revved, and the two Otters hastened to shuffle out of the
way as the cab executed a three point turn in the road, then sped away
with a screech of tires and a cloud of fine dust.
"Delightful!" exclaimed the Second Otter. "We are that much closer to
collecting the necessary funds to repair the tractor!"
"True,"grumbled the First Otter, "but I would have preferred that we
paid our way honorably. It cannot be helped now."
"No," the Second replied musingly. "Hoomins are such strange, emotional
creatures. They are easily unsettled."
The First nodded in agreement, and gently placed the red nylon wallet
in his mouth. He then dropped down on all fours and seemingly 'surfed'
his way to the front door of the hoomin's house, his brother following
close behind him, moving across the green lawn in precisely the same
way. It was the easiest way for them to cross large distances on land.
As they came to the front door, it silently opened a crack, and a small
grey ferret head popped out into the daylight. The First Otter, still
down on all fours bent far, far down to touch noses with the little
female ferret. "Cousin!," he exclaimed. "My small Cousin in Fur!" The
First made space for the Second, who bent down and greeted Puma with
precisely the same touching of noses. Puma looked up at the two of them
and said "Come in, quickly, before the hoomins across the street see
you!" And both Otters hurried to do precisely that, closing the door
firmly behind them.
Inside the cool, dark interior of the house, both Otters were at first
unable to see. They blinked, and fisted their eyes with their paws.
Puma greeted them cordially, and thanked them for making the long trip.
The First Otter asked her "Where is our little Cousin in Fur Ping is
He, and that...hedgehog." At that Puma sighed, and said "Ping is still
in his hammy. He had...a rough night. France is nocturnal, so she is
sound asleep."
"Ahhh," said both the First and Second together. "Nocturnal, nocturnal"
they both muttered together. "Perhaps,"opined the First Otter, "that
accounts for her wretched disposition when we meet. She is sleep
deprived at that moment in time."
"No," said Puma."She's just like that."
"Hmmm. I do not find this difficult to believe," said the Second in his
deep voice, a look of mild distaste clouding his features.
"Regardless," said the First, we are here to address a more important
matter than her regretable lack of civility. The hoomin's lack of
dollars to fix the tractor."
"Yes," said Puma. "We're at a loss. We don't know the first thing about
economics."
"Hah!" exclaimed the First. "We have a solution. A solution in two
words! What does the phrase 'Petting Zoo' suggest to you," he asked,
smiling hugely....
More Tomorrow
Alexandra in MA
[Posted in FML 5701]
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