The sun was peeking over the meadow, chasing the dark clouds of night
back over the hills as a small ferret, looking lost, made his way down
the path to the wooden bridge.

He stopped to rest by a fallen log. The mist was burning off as the sun
warmed the pathway, and Squeak saw a rather large ferret sleeping on a
chair on the other side of the bridge.

Gathering all his courage, Squeak tiptoed over the bridge, careful not
to make any noise, and touched the older ferret on the paw.

"Scuse me, where is this place I is at?" he said.

The Bridge Greater
jumped and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Scuse me Mister, is my mommy Susan here anywhere? I thinks I be lost,
can you help me find my way home?"

Bridge Greeter No. 421 jumped to attention, looking around at the small
face in front of him, trying to look his professional best.

"Hello, son, I am Bridge Greater No. 421. How long have you been here?"
No. 421 said. "I guess I fell asleep on my watch, did anyone see you
coming?"

"I don't think so," Squeak replied. "I don't remember much, I was in
a white room, and I was very tired. I don't know what happened, I jus
woke up now, and I is scared, and I misses my Mommy."

Bridge Greeter No. 421 dusted himself off, rose up to his full height,
and tried to look official. He hoped the Boss was busy doing something
else and did not see that he had been asleep on his watch.

"Son, you must have been very sick, and I know what happened. You just
went to sleep," said No. 421. "You are now at the Rainbow Bridge,
Ferret Division, and I am the official Bridge Greeter for today. Give
me your paw; there is no need to be afraid any more. I am here with you
and I will show you around."

Paw in paw, Squeak and No. 421 strolled down the lane towards a meadow
filled with flowers and several grassy mounds. Some mounds had feet
sticking out, others had tails, and ferrets of various colors inhabited
all.

As the sun reached higher into the sky, the ferrets began to stir.
Several sniffed the air, and then lay back down. One little fellow,
Jeep took another sniff, jumped up and began to dook. Bridge Greeter
No. 421 said to Squeak, "This is the Meadow of Dreams where ferrets
wait for their brothers, sisters, cage mates, and if they want, their
humans. I see someone coming here at a run, do you know this fellow?"

The two little ferrets sniffed each other, walked around each other,
then dooked. "Hi Jeep," Squeak said. "Where you been? Mommy an I
missed you sooooo much. I'm glad I found you."

No. 421 smiled, and tried to put on his most official face, but he
could not stop the tear that slid down his nose and off one of his
whiskers.

"Drat, that happens every time," said No. 421. "I must work harder to
control myself."

And with that, he took Squeak by the paw and told him he had a forever
home with Jeep till Mommy Susan came and took them away with her.

Jeep took Squeak by the paw and the two little ferrets left the Meadow
of Dreams to go to their new Forever Home in the endless prairie that
stretched across the cloudbank to the mountains in the distance.

Bridge Greater No. 421 slipped quietly back to his post, at the Rainbow
Bridge, as the two little friends dooked and dooked catching up on all
the news since they parted last.

[Posted in FML 6002]