Hi, all.
 
I met a little girl coming across the Bridge the other day.  Her name was
Sherrie.  Her Brother in Fur Freddie was waiting for he, he loved her so
much!
 
Sherrie and Freddie touched sides and sniffed noses, and even groomed one
another a little.  Then I helped Sherrie strap on her wings so that she
could fly away with Freddie to their true forever home.
 
I flew with them, because I wanted to see the home that Freddie had
prepared for the two of them so carefully.  We had to fly over a patch
of heavy green forest, but it wasn't a bad tip at all.  No more than ten
minutes flying time.
 
We landed carefully in the long grass and the dasies.  There, half buried
beneath the grass was a brown leather guitar case.  It smelled good, and
was cool to the touch.  It had shiny brass hinges.  Freddie opened it for
us and showed us the green velvet lining on the inside-so soft!  We all
three went inside and carefully closed the lid.  It was very nice in
there, still smelling of good leather, and very quiet, too!  We sat
inside for a while and Sherrie and Freddy told me about their Mommy Rose,
and how she always wanted fine things for all of her ferrets, but money
was always a little bit of a problem.  Freddie said that this was one of
the finest things he had ever seen, and he thought that Rose would like
it.  Someday, a long time from today, he will find out what she thinks!
 
I met another little girl coming across the Bridge.  Once upon a time her
name was Taz, but her last hoomins called her Fang, and she likes Fang
much better.  She does have good teeth, and the beautiful fur and muscles
of youth again, too.  She feels strong now, too, and can hardly remember
what it was to be ill!
 
Fang's Business was HUGE!  I know that Socks and Kit and Suzy and Calvin
and Scully and Spunky and Cinnamon were there.  Forgive me if I missed a
few of the names!  They had a good reunion.  Fang was very happy to come
across the Bridge, her Mommy Rebecca had held her and whispered to her
about the Bridge, and the wonderful things that she would find there.
What did she want to see first?  The Tug Rope!
 
The Tug Rope is a cord made from heavy red silk, very smooth and cool in
the mouth.  It is maybe five feet long, with a tight knot tied in each
end.  It never leaves it's field of wildflowers and long grass.  It is
always there for anyone and everyone to play tug of war with.  Many,
many ferrets can grab ahold of it at once and tug because it is so long.
Some games last all day!
 
Socks, Kit, Suzy and Calvin took one end.  Scully, Spunky, Cinnamon and
Fang took the other.  They heaved and pulled and ran through the grass.
Sometimes one of the teams would be pulled through the grass!  Their
claws would dig into the soil but they'd still be pulled along!  Back
and forth they went, giggling and trying not to talk lest they drop the
rope.  Finally, everybody decided it was time for some refreshment.
 
Two words, folks...FRUIT BAR!!!  A good time was had by all, and yes
they did remember to stretch the Tug Rope out flat in the grass so that
all the ferret spit dried in the sun!
 
I went to check on a little girl who hasn't been here very long.  Her
name is Grandmother Sadie.  She had a very long life, eight years!  I
want her Hoomins Shanna and Erik to know that Sadie is very happy here
with us.  She is actually a well respected poet!  Sadie writes epic poems
about the heroes of the Ferret world, those individuals that we are the
most proud of.  She wouldn't let me see what she was working on today,
she say's it's still too rough, but I am very much looking forward to her
new collection entitled "Brothers and Lovers in Fur- A Retrospective."
She has promised me an autographed copy!  Her friends Monkey and Flower
say that she never lets them see any unfinished work, either, not even
for a squeekie ball, so I shouldn't feel bad.
 
I met a little guy coming across the Bridge, too.  His name was Smokey.
Smokey was a loner in the World of the Living, and even though his Mommy
told him about the World beyond the Bridge, he was afraid that he would
be all alone in it, with no close friends.  You see, Smokey is very shy.
Sometimes he is afraid that other Ferrets won't like him.
 
I sat with Smokey in a Recovery Hammie for a long time, and told him
that nobody is ever alone here, unless they want to be, as part of their
happiness.  I think that maybe during his final illness, he misunderstood
some of the things that his Mommy told him, because he didn't feel well.
Even his Mommy never knew that he was shy!  He always tried to hide it.
 
I knew just who to call!  My friend Arno, who was the only shy Black
Footed Ferret that ever lived beneath the blue prarie sky.  Nobody had
ever seen a shy Black Footed Ferret until Arno was born, and it was kind
of hard for him growing up among these notoriously outgoing creatures!
The Shyer Arno felt, the more his Black Footed brothers and sisters
wanted to scoop him up and love on him!
 
When Arno crossed the Bridge he crossed it at a run, and never stopped!
He knew that all of his brothers and sisters, his aunts, uncles, cousins,
nephews, grandparents, ALL OF HIS RELATIVES would be waiting for him!
And he just couldn't handle that thought.  He hid in a burrow by himself
for six weeks while his whole jolly family of four hundred and twenty six
looked for him.  Poor Arno!
 
Well, the Big Boss finally had to have a talk with his family and explain
what shy was, they just didn't get it!  That word is just not in the
Black Footed Ferret vocabulary!  His folks (all 426 of them) promised not
to pick Arno up and carry him around on their shoulders, or toss him up
in the air in a blanket, or do any of those other things that they do
after a few licks of beer.  Arno came out of the burrow.  Whew!  I'll
never forget when that happeded!
 
Well, Arno was happy to come and talk to Smokey.  I have no idea what
they talked about, I thought it should be a private conversation.  After
a while I could see that the set of Smokey's whiskers was relaxing.  I
even heard him laugh at a few of the tales that Arno had to tell about
his adventures amongst the most outgoing ferrets on earth.
 
After a while the two guys strapped on wings, and waved to me from a
distance.  Where did they fly off to?  I don't know.  Would I give a
pound of rasins to find out?  YES!!
 
Sandee
[Posted in FML issue 4459]