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 rhododendron 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.

The First and Second Otters had just arrived by Cab from the Ecotariaum
in Worcester where their habitat, water slide, and pool are housed.
Ping is He and France were still sleeping off the effects of a late and
trying night. (There were a few pulled muscles from their unfortunate
physical confrontation, but no real injuries!) And the First Otter
said to Puma regarding the immediate cash flow problems related to the
repair of the tractor...

"Hah!We have a solution. A solution in two words! What does the phrase
'Petting Zoo' suggest to you?," he asked,smiling hugely.

"Petting Zoo?" thought Puma. "*Petting* Zoo?"

The puzzlement must have show on her face, because the Second Otter
said in his deep voice "Don't make our little Cousin guess,
brother!Tell her the plan. It's a *delightful* scheme for raising
revenue, if I do say so myself!"

"Yes, *delightful!*," enthused the First. He sat down next to Puma in
the posture that passes for 'cross-legged' in a sea otter, and began.

"You see, little Cousin, we already have quite a few dollars. There is
a certain class of hoomin that my brother and I simply don't understand
who enjoy throwing coins into our pool at the Ecotarium. We have few
expenses, but we do collect them."

"Very prudent!" interjected the Second Otter.

"Yes, very prudent," continued the First. "We take our collection of
them every few days (We must do so, they make our water taste strange,
otherwise!) and turn them in for cash at the Concessions Stand."

"They have the most delightful hot dogs!" enthused the Second.

(Puma was beginning to feel like her head was a ping pong ball, having
to turn her focus from one brother to the other as they chattered on,
happily, and apparently unaware of her effort to keep up with their
rapid discourse.)

"Yes, and *fried clams*, too, so you see all those coins are put to
good use by us!" continued the First. "As it happens, we have set aside
a considerable cash surplus. We have with us more than half of what
will be needed to purchase the replacement part for your most excellent
tractor." At that, he held up the red nylon wallet triumphantly, and
gave a huge otter grin, one framed with great, drooping whiskers.

"OK," said Puma. "But...Petting Zoo?"

"A Petting Zoo!" enthused the First. "We shall stage a Petting Zoo
using ourselves as the exhibits at the sunday Flea Market. This will
allow us to generate the rest of the necessary cash." At that, he
crossed his arms and sat back a bit, to gauge Puma's reaction.

Well...Puma wasn't sure how to react. True, the sunday Flea Market was
a very big, very busy place and only a few miles away. But...a Petting
Zoo? She wasn't sure what to think. Her eyes came to rest upon the dog,
the Noble Allis Chompers, who had been sitting curled up quietly in her
arm chair, listening. Puma scurried over to her and said quietly "What
do you think about this idea?" Allis lifted one eyebrow and said "It
sounds completely cracked. And it just might work. Count me in. When
Sterling the cat comes in from his morning hunt, we talk to him,
too.That will give you two otters, a dog, a cat, two ferrets, and a
hedgehog. If you can reason with her."

Puma turned back to the Otters, and opened her mouth to speak, but was
immediately interrupted by the first Otter who said "No! That will
give us two Sea Otters, two rare black Russian minks, a Border Collie
demonstration, an endangered ocelot, and a rare, pygmy porcupine!"

At this, Puma's mouth hung open....

More Tomorrow
Alexandra in MA

[Posted in FML 5702]