Pegge and Stanley and all you beautiful ferret-people,
 
thank you so much for wanting to reprint my poem in the "Ferret Folio" and
the Kansas City newsletter.  I am overwhelmed at the encouraging response
from everybody!
 
I am also embarassed 'cause after I got home Saturday I discovered I'd
copied one word wrong from my original working copy.  .  .so here's a copy
with the correction made.
 
Pegge and Stanley, you certainly can go ahead and print the poem as long as
you tell people that I wrote it and that it's for Emmett.  I'd like it if
you could mail me a copy of the issue.  Since Emmett was such a gift to me,
I can make the poem a gift to ferret-people.
 
Same for anybody else, except please let me know. Thank all of you for
being so kind!
 
Kate
 
(p.s.  I have sent one myth to "Modern Ferret" so nobody can publish that
while it's under consideration there
 
Here is the corrected copy--please excuse typo in original, I wasn't
thinking completely accurately yet.  .  .
 
"The Bargain"
 
A fairy came to the bereaved, smiled, and said,
        "I can cure your sorrow, I can end your tears.
         I'll take away all the ache. . .for a price."
 
"And what price do you ask of me?" said the left-behind one.
 
        "I only want. . .your memories," said she.
 
The mourner cried, "My what?
        To lose the sight of that delighted grin, sweet and smug,
                        those shining eyes and bright gaze
                        the eager look of expectation
                        and alert glance of curiosity
        To forget a little friend rolling over for glee
                        waving all four feet in the air
                        waiting for a tummy-tickle, or
                        curved all curled-up in sweet sleeping innocence
        To relinquish the smell of musky perfume and
                        the fresh scent of popcorn
        To give up the touch of little paws on my leg
                        and the feel of his head on my shoulder
                        me, stroking his fur as dense and soft as feathers
ah, lady, this is no bargain at all!
 
I'll keep my tears with my departed dancer's memory.
 
No deal, lady! I'll not give up my grieving for your evil bargain."
 
"You have chosen wisely," said the fairy. "Truly have you loved your friend.
I give you now the gift of joy.
Treasure your memories, and take comfort
        in the love and the laughter both given and received."
 
 
Kate Pappas, in memory of Emmett Kelly, my best l'il bub
                who was born February 26, 1991
         and who went to the Rainbow Bridge on March 24, 1998
                "a good life, a good death, a good friend"
Seattle, Washington            March 28, 1998
[Posted in FML issue 2263]