Hi again,
 
I was reading yesterday's digest and noticed Adrienne Wells' story about her
ferret falling in back of a water heater.  It reminded me of something that
happened to one of my little businesss.  Back when I was younger, about as
poor, but with less furniture, I used to store my books on 2x4 "shelves"
stacked on top of platic crates (hasn't everyone?).  After a time, the
crates started to sag, and the ad hoc bookshelves pulled away from the wall
slightly.  Needless to say, the empty space was a constant source of
fascination for all three of my ferrets.  However, the two older ferrets
were too large to fit more than a nose into the space.  The younger ferret
(Lulu, for those who read my earlier post about the little mutant), was just
a kit, and took great joy in jamming herself into the space.  One night, as
I was gathering up the kindred to put them in the cage, I couldn't find her.
I searched for three hours - no Lulu.  I took a flashlight outside, and
looked for her there, even though I knew there was no way she could have
gotten outside.  My neighbors beat the bushes with me (bless their hearts),
no Lulu.  Finally, at about 2 a.m., I decided that I had to quit for the
night, and try again in the morning.  It was then, in the still and quite,
that I heard it - a weak little scratching - coming from the back of the
bookshelf.  She had fallen in head first, with her head folded all the way
back against her chest (i.e.  her nose was resting on her sternum), and her
body jammed in above her.  When I pulled her out, she was crying like a
newborn.  I fed her sugar and water, and let her stretch out those sore
little muscles, and then put her in with the other two, to see how she was
doing.  She staggered aroung for a while, and then laid down and went to
sleep (without the customary ferret comma-curl).  Amazingly enough, there
was no lasting damage from her little misadventure - although she was sore
for a day or so.  My best estimate places her trapped behind the bookshelf
for 8-9 hours.  Bottom line - I went out and bought real bookshelves the
first chance I got, and restricted their access to the crate-and-2x4
variety.
 
Gwen M. Daley, Geologist, Paleontologist, and Mo, Winnie, and Lulu's Mom.
[Posted in FML issue 1469]