FerretWise Ferrets Go to School
by Troubles, McKenzie, Cleo and Prince
 
   (as told to Mary-Michael Scanlon, aka "Mom" :-)
reprinted from Issue 2 1998 "Frolic" newsletter
 
Troubles:  One morning, Mom woke us up really early.
 
Cleo:   It wasn't *that* early.
 
Prince: oh yes it was! I was still asleep.
 
Cleo:  <snort> You're always asleep.
 
Troubles:  A-hem! I'm telling this story!  Mom got us out of our, nice
warm hammy-beds and put us in our carriers and said we were going somewhere
special.
 
McKenzie:  I thought we were going to the vet.
 
Prince:  What are you complaining about?  You got a whole carrier to
yourself!
 
Troubles: Can I continue, please?  We drove in the car a long way and then
stopped at a place with a lot of noise - laughing and lots of hustle and
bustle.  All sizes of two legs were running up and down stairs and around
in the yard!  Mom took us out of the car and we went up the stairs into a
hallway where she put our carriers down.  And all around us we heard people
saying, "Look!  It's the ferrets!  The ferrets are here today!
 
Cleo: Yes!  I liked that. They thought we were *very* special!
 
McKenzie:  And then I got to come out! Mom pulled me out of the carrier and
held me in her arms, and lots of big and little  two legs came up to me and
told me how beautiful I was.  And then I gave Mom lots and lots of kisses
and everyone laughed and said how surprised they were that  ferrets were so
gentle .....and  affectionate.   and then teacher said "Welcome to the
Chelmsford Children's School" and said  that the "nursery school class" was
ready for us.  So Mom  put me back in the carrierThen a big two leg came
over ......
 
Troubles:  ....and then we all went into a room full of very tiny  two legs
all sitting in a circle.  Mom asked them if they'd ever seen a ferret and a
few said yes, but most said no.  Mom put on a ferret puppet and talked about
us and how playful we are and how long we live and then she passed the
puppet around to the little two legs and talked about FerretWise
"shelter"....
 
MacKenzie:  What's a "shelter"?
 
Cleo:   it's like a big cage where you're warm and safe and the two legs
give you everything you want.
 
Troubles:  ...and how they help all kinds of sick ferrets get well and find
good homes. Then Mom reached in and pulled me out and told about my amazing
story.....
 
Cleo:  <groan> I've heard you tell your "amazing story" 42,000 times now.
 
Troubles:  Well, the little two legs liked it.
 
Cleo:      The little two legs don't live with you.
 
Troubles:  I'll ignore that.  Mom told them all about how I was lost in the
woods with a broken leg and then Ferretwise found me and fixed me all up,
and found me a home!  She explained that ferrets came in different colors
and that I was "albino." Then she brought me around the room and let the
little two legs pet me!  The kids were all real impressed 'cause I was
white!
 
Cleo:  Then she took me out and put my harness on!  I got to walk around and
beg for Ferretone.  Everyone said I was so beautiful and soft!  Mom talked
about male and female ferrets and the difference in sizes.  The kids asked
what we liked to snack on and Mom said Cheerios and raisins.  They the
little two legs all laughed and said *they* snack on cheerios and raisins
too!  No wonder people are always running out!  Prince: Yes and then I got
to come out.  Mom talked about FerretWise helping ferrets who were sick.
She said I had a bad heart and talked about the medication I take that makes
me feel better.  Then she let each of the little two legs that wanted to
come up and give me a hug!  It was so nice!  There were big two legs there
too and they asked questions about our cousins; weasels, black footed
ferrets and otters.
 
Troubles: Then they said it was time to go "upstairs", so we all had to go
back into our carriers and walk down another hallway and up some stairs.
Then, we were in another room with more little two legs!  They said these
were "kindergarten and pre-k", whatever that is.  These little two legs were
noisier.  They kept crowding close to us to see us better.  Mom told my
story again and a little boy asked Mom if she had my cast!  She didn't but
showed them a picture of me with my cast on.  They were impressed!
 
McKenzie: Then she brought me out and told about my sensitive tummy and
how she gives me medicine to make me feel better.  She talked about being
careful not to step on ferrets and let me run around so she could show how
my spine is curved.  The kids all laughed.
 
Prince: Then I came out again and everyone gave me a hug!  I liked that.
Mom says she can do that because I am very gentle.
 
Cleo:   Mom can do that because you're asleep most of the time.
 
Prince:  You're just jealous because Mom can't do that with you 'cause you
run around too much.
 
Cleo:  I'm *active*.  I jumped around and played for the little two legs
and they all laughed.
 
Prince:  Harumph!!
 
Troubles: The little two legs talked a lot about their pets they had at
home, and asked some questions about us.  Then it was time for us to go
home.  We had a really good time, though, and we hope we get to go back
again.
 
Prince:   Yes!  And Mom told us to thank the McQuade family for making a
donation to FerretWise for our presentation!
 
Cleo:     And don't forget the school sent us those neat thank you notes
with our beauuuttt-ii-ffful portraits!
 
Troubles: Boy, were we tired when we got home!  We slept and slept!  But it
was a really neat adventure!
 
McKenzie:  Yeah, being "school ferrets" was really fun!
 
If you love ferrets visit our shelter page at:
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~crassi/index.html
[Posted in FML issue 2356]