Early morning at the Bridge, Muldoone was still sleeping and suddenly
he leaped out of his hammy at the sound of barking dogs; B I G barking
dogs.  Every hair on him was standing on end and he knew "someone" had
been messing with the settings on his alarm clock.  "Dat Nanna, boy if
I ever finds her awarm cwock, I makes some changes on it too."
 
Mully stumbled off in the direction of his "necessary corner" and then
tried his best to get his hammy-head-hair to lie down.  "From da looks
of my fur, I needs a ball cap for my whole body."  Realizing it was
hopeless, his unruly fur had won another battle, Mully gave up and headed
out the door in the direction of the Bridge to greet the new ferret that
would be arriving.  Muldoone felt the pain of the one on earth who was
leaving his body behind and embarking on a new journey.  For the wee-one,
he was leaving a sickly body and making his way to a better place; a
place free of all pain and illness but sadly it was also to a place that
would separate him from the person he loved so much.
 
Mazoo felt the warmth and love in the Ferret Promise Song being sung
by Soda Ferret.  The sad sweet melody of the Ferret Promise song seemed
to swirl all a round him and he felt he was being cradled in love and
protection.  Mazoo heard a beautiful soft voice whisper to him "Come
home wee-one we are waiting for you."
 
The melody was now awash in his heart and he no longer feared letting
go.  His thoughts were centered on the one he loved most and his heart
whispered a message to his familee, I be sorry but I no can stay, pwease
forgives me."  In the bright sky over the Rainbow Bridge the Ferret
Promise Song filled the air with its bittersweet refrain.  Muldoone had
heard the melody many many times but it still caused him pain in his
heart, missing his own familee back on earth.  The song sang of hope
and promise, 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 clear and bright, it told of the sorrow of passing and the
joy waiting in the promise.  At the moment of each ferret's passing the
Creator gently took them into His thundering velvet right hand and
whispered to their hearts "I knew you before you were 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."
 
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 another ferret whose
time on earth had been cut short.
 
Watching the newcomer taking cautious steps coming across the Bridge,
Muldoone recognized the uncertainties the new arrival must be feeling.
So many ferrets arrived at the Bridge afraid, sad to be away from their
familees, even a some had arrived and were angry about coming to the
Bridge; they felt they had not had nearly enough time on earth with their
hoomans, and others arrived at the Bridge, sad to be gone from their
familee, but happy to have shed their sickly and "not functioning so
well" old body and be gifted with a new one.
 
Stepping out to greet the new arrival, "Hello, I be Mr. Muldoone,
officialist Wainbow Bwidge Gweeter" he told the little new comer,
"welcomes to the Bwidge.  Your name be MadderZooks?" Mully asked him.
For a long time Mazoo said nothing, he just stared at all the new sights
before him.
 
"Hey kid, you be ok?" Muldoone asked him.  "You knos where you be?  You
be at da Wainbow Bwidge, you not bees sick no mores" Mully explained to
him.
 
"Yes I knos where I bees and da name be Mazoo, not MadderZooks" the
latest Bridge arrival announced to Muldoone with a scowl on his face.
"And what da heck be wrong wiff yur fur?" Mazoo asked Mully, "it be as
messed up as da way you talk."
 
Muldoone blushed a bright red under his furry cheeks.  I tink we gets
off on da wong feets wiff dis guy Mully thought to himself.  "Uh, sworry
bout da name kid, I dooes habe twouble wiff names and my fur, dat be why
I wears da cap all da times" Muldoone explained to Mazoo.
 
"It be oks Misser Muldoone, and I be sworry what I say bout yur fur"
Mazoo told Mully.  "I knos I be coming to da Bwidge, my dad tells me all
bout it.  All fewets knos bout da Wainbow Bwidge.  My wast night wiff my
dad, he wets me way on his chest and I breave in his smell and I keeps it
in my heart so I not forgets him.  I had a gud dad Misser Muldoone and I
misses him" Mazoo told Mully.
 
"Mazook" Muldoone began "we all misses our familees when we gets here,
I misses my familee a wot but dey comes for us when it be deir time.
Da Cweator make dat pwomise to us and He always keeps his pwomises.
Yesserday we be pwaying in da medder and a fewet names Cwoie comes wunnin
to us and say her mom be coming to takes her home.  Cwoie bees here a
wong time but she wait for her mom and now dey be back agedder.  You bees
wiff yur dad again" Muldoone told him.  "What kinds of tings you wikes
to do Mazook?" Mully asked him.  "We gots all kinds of fun stuff here, we
gots da Otter Swide, Wessle-Mania, da Fruit Bar, da Chicken Gwavy Pond,
'Tone Stweams, da Soc Steal Course, Dirt Mountain and wots more" Muldoone
chattered on and on.
 
"You pwomise I gets to see my dad again?" Mazoo asked Mully.
 
"I pwomise" Muldoone told him.  "I shows you how you sneaks back and
visit yur dad when he be sweeping, you can gives him whiskery kisses and
he will tink he be dweamin but it be weal, we all dooes it, we sneaks
back and peeks in on our familee."
 
Mazoo thought for a long time before speaking.  Muldoone was getting
worried about the new arrival, some ferrets accepted all this better
than others.  Finally Mazoo met Mully's gaze "You say dere be a fwuit
bar here?  Shows me da way, I bees hungry."
 
 
~~Muldoone~~
Caring for your ferrets at the Rainbow Bridge.
 
http://mrmuldoone.bravehost.com/index.html
[Posted in FML issue 5179]