The following is a story that was written by a friend and posted at another
ferret site.  With his permission I am reposting it here for all to read.  I
thought it was great.  Enjoy.
 
Happy Holidays to all!!!!!!   Corrie & The 5 Wee Beasties.
 
       " Emmy LaRue's Christmas Caper"
         -----------------------------------------------
                                           by Dan Borton
 
December 24, 1995
 
It was a beautiful cold snowy night.  The kind of night that made sleigh
bells ring and children sing.  Christmas was in the air, and ferrets near
and far were rushing to finish their Christmas shopping.  The city was full
of Christmas celebration.  The streets were decked out with colorful lights
and tinsel.  Holiday carolers sang songs of good tidings and joy.  It was a
wonder full time to be a ferret.
 
At the City Ferret shelter, the ferrets where just finishing up, with all
the Holiday decorations, in preparations for their big Ferret Christmas
party being held Christmas morning.
 
Well Emmy LaRue, That about does it with the decorations and the Christmas
Tree.  Thank you, so much for helping out around the shelter, Says Mr.
Mustela, the shelters operator.  Mr. Mustela, says Emmy, It was my pleasure.
Tomorrow is going to be such a wonderful day for all the ferrets in the
shelter, They have really been looking forward to Christmas this year.  Well
Emmy all we have to do now is put out the Ferretone and cookies, wait for
Santa Claus.  Its almost nine o'clock, we don't want him to pass up the
shelter just because we are still awake.  Mr. Mustela, I will be back early
in the morning, says Emmy, tell everyone to wait for me, If they can.  Merry
Christmas and good night.
 
An hour later Mr. Mustela awakens from his sleep.  I am so Excited I can't
stand it, he says to himself, I have to go downstairs to see if Santa Claus
has come yet.  Oh boy, He was here, he was here, This is wonderful.  I am
too excited to sleep now, I think I will go in to the kitchen, and make
myself a snack.
 
Mean While, out side the ferret shelter, a dark hooded character lurks in
the bushes.  Soon all the ferrets gifts will be mine, and the Ferrets
Christmas will be ruined.  Slowly the dark character picks open the locked
door and makes his way in to the shelter.  Well, he says to himself, it
looks like that Santa Claus was already here.  All I have to do, it put
everything in this bag.  I think I will even take there tree.  CRASH.  Oh no
I dropped a bulb, I had better get out of here!  Quickly Mr. Mustela hearing
the crash, runs out of the Kitchen to see what has happen, as the hooded
thief, makes his way out the door.
 
RING, RING, RING.  Hold on I am coming, Emmy says to the telephone.  Hello
and Merry Christmas, this is Emmy LaRue what can I do for you.  Emmy, this
is Mr. Mustela, Please come to the shelter right away, something terrible
has happened.
 
Ten minutes later, in the ferret shelter.  Thank goodness your are came
Emmy, someone has taken all are Christmas gifts, they even took the tree.
Who would have done such a thing.  I don't know Mr.  Mustela, Emmy replied,
but I will find out, and I promise I will get those gifts back to the
shelter before tomorrow morning.  Hmm, It looks like who ever broke in used
his claws to pick the lock.  May be I had better take a look outside, there
may be some fresh tracks in the snow.  Sure enough, behind the bushes, there
are the tracks I was looking for as well as a small piece of black fur,
caught on the bushes.  From the looks of it, they look like ferret tracks.
No wait, not ferret tracks, Mink tracks, and they go of in that direction.
As Emmy tracks down the thief through the, now quite streets of the city.
The peaceful calm casts an almost eerie feeling, as the Colorful lights cast
a glowing effect on the freshly falling snow.  You know, she says to
herself, these bad guys never learn, they always forget to cover their
tracks!  As the trail begins to end the tracks go off in to a dark dangerous
looking ally, marked "Dead End", just be on the reach of the glowing
Christmas lights.
 
Well Emmy (Gulp) it looks like I am going to have to go in there, she says
to herself, as she removes a small flash light from her coat pocket.  As she
follows the tracks down the dark ally, the footprints stop right in front of
the large bag filled with the gifts, and even the Christmas tree.  Well that
was easy, she says to herself.  Now I will just get this back to the shelter.
 
Just as Emmy picks up the bag, a voice speaks out from behind her, Not so
fast ferret, those are mine, and if you can't have them.  Quickly Emmy spins
around to face the swindler.  As she looks she sees a mink, a mink who's fur
is black as coal.  I am Emmy LaRue, and these things belong to the ferrets
of the ferret shelter, she said to the mink and I have promised to returned
them.  Well Emmy LaRue, says the mink, You can't have them back.  I took
them for myself, because no ever gives me a gift at Christmas time, and I
wanted the ferrets to see what its like to wake up Christmas morning and be
disappointed, just like me.  Your only hurting yourself mink, says Emmy, not
the Ferrets at the shelter.  Christmas is much, much more than getting
presents on Christmas morning, its about being with friends and family.  Its
about celebrating the season.  Christmas is about giving, not receiving.
The celebration will still go on tomorrow, with or with out the gifts, and
even without the Christmas tree, besides I can still get another tree,
before morning at the twenty four hour tree lot.  Mink, if that bag, means
so much to you, than may be you should keep it.  Its not worth fighting
over, especially on Christmas Eve.
 
Perhaps you are right Emmy LaRue, Says the Mink, Its just no one ever wants
to have a mink over for Christmas unless its in the form of a fur coat.  I
am sorry for what I have done.  Please take the bag of gifts and even the
Christmas tree, back to the shelter.  Even if I can not have a nice
Christmas, perhaps I can make some one else's Christmas even better.  That's
the spirit Mink, says Emmy.  Why don't you come back to the shelter with me.
There is always room for one more.  We would be happy if you would spend
Christmas with us.
 
Besides we are having a big celebration tomorrow morning, and there will be
lots of food, and ferretone.  Do you mean it Emmy, says the Mink.  I could
spend Christmas at the ferret shelter.  Yes of course I mean it, Emmy
replies, So lets get going, we still have to put the tree back up, and get
the gifts put back, and its almost eleven thirty.
 
A short time later at the Ferret Shelter.  Emmy, thank goodness you have
come back.  How can we ever thank you for retrieving the ferrets Christmas
gifts, says Mr. Mustela.  Mr. Mustela, says Emmy, I want you to say hello to
my friend Mink, he will be joining us for Christmas.  Mink is the one who
took the gifts and even the Christmas tree, however; he has had a change of
heart, and has decided to return them back to the shelter.  Thank you Mink,
Mr. Mustela replies, the ferrets here will be so happy, you are spending
Christmas with us.  Well Mr. Mustela, Emmy says, its almost midnight.  I
have to get home, I still have a few presents to finish wrapping, Take care
of Mink, I will be back in the morning, Good night.
 
Christmas morning, the Shelter is a buzz with the sounds of Christmas music
and excited ferrets, ferret kits and even a mink.  Calm down everyone, says
Mr. Mustela, we can't start until Emmy LaRue gets her.  Suddenly the front
door bursts open!  Standing in the doorway, with a bag full of even more
presents, is a small looking ferret in a Santa suit.
 
DOK DOK DOK, Merry Christmas she shouts out.  Look everyone, says Mr.
Mustela, Its Emmy Claus, now we can start the celebration.  Emmy Claus, Mr.
Mustela says, would you do the honors of passing out the everyone's
presents.  I would be happy to, replies Emmy.  Here is a gift for Oscar, and
here is one for Ferris.  Here is one for Mink.  This is for me Mink replies,
Thank you so much, this is the first time I have ever gotten a gift.  Merry
Christmas Mink, she replies.  Here is a present for Mr. Mustela, and one for
Me.  Later that Evening, Well Emmy LaRue, says Mr. Mustela, this.  turned
out to be a wonderful Christmas, everyone really had a good time.  You are
right, Mr. Mustela, says Emmy, however its getting late, and I had better
get home, Merry Christmas and good night.  So with that, I wish you all a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
[Posted in FML issue 1422]