No. 421 and Oliver were putting the finishing touches on their farm
stand when Bluebird came fluttering up to the gate.

"Hey No. 421, and Oliver" Bluebird chirped. "I has a very very special
greeting for you to do today. Remember Granny, the lady who wrote those
nice poems for the humans who lost ferrets? Granny has passed and her
ferret Wiggles crossed a few days ago. We can't find him anywhere. De
Boss says you are to find him and bring him to his family. Here is de
ticket, I has to go now."

No. 421 took the ticket from Bluebird as she fluttered off. Oliver was
picking up the carpenter tools and taking them to the shed. He just
knew he was going to be dispatched to find someone.

"Oliver," No. 421 called. "Can you go over to the Silver Falls and see
if Mick, Buttons, Oreo, or Rocko are around? We has a ferret named
Wiggles here and we need to find his family. Seems he slipped by the
Receiving Angel and now, he is no where to be found."

Oliver slipped into his sweats and started off to the Field. Buttons
had been talking to him just the other day, asking how the family was.

Oliver was walking through the brush when he saw some berries. The
raspberries were ripe. He made a note to come back later and start
picking them.

No. 421 had just reached the bridge and was getting settled in his
chair when the Receiving Angel himself arrived.

"No. 421," he said in a low voice. "Did you get my note I sent with
Bluebird? Wiggles crossed a few days ago and I logged him in, but now
I cannot find where he went. All the Greeters were busy, so I told him
to wait in the holding field, but he left."

"Oliver is gone to look for the family," No. 421 said. "Don't worry --
we'll find him. You go back to the gate and I'll let you know as soon
as we find something out."

Oliver was almost at the Field of Dreams when he spied Oreo.

"Hi Oreo," he called. "Have you seen Buttons and the rest of the gang?
You have a family member here, somewhere, and No. 421 and I were hoping
you would know where he is or come help us look."

Oreo told Oliver he would see who he could round up and meet him at the
Bridge. Together they would find Wiggles.

No. 421 was dozing in his chair when he felt a soft tap on his knee.

"Hello, hello, you awake -- where am I and what is you doing sleeping
in a chair?" the Ferret said. "Don't you have a hammy?"

No. 421 was instantly awake. A ferret with a soft light black coat and
a sleep sack under his paw was standing there.

"Well, Hello yourself," No. 421 said. "And who might you be?"

"I be Wiggles and I was having a hard time walking around. My Mom,
Granny left me, and I just could not go on any more. So I went with
Julie to somewhere, I was tired and went to sleep, and now I'm here.
I've been wandering around for a few days, and I fell asleep under a
bush, but I'se lonesome. I was hiding in the bushes and heard them say
Granny was settling in nicely so she is all taken care of. But, I needs
someone."

"Well, I can take care of that," No. 421 said. "This is the Rainbow
Bridge, and my currier Oliver is bringing some of your family here to
greet you. Wait -- here he is now."

"Hey Wiggles -- that you?" Oreo called. "Hey Buddy -- how you doin'?
Found Buttons but the rest of the gang is off picking raspberries.
Thanks Oliver for helping our buddy here, you're the best."

Oreo told No. 421 they had an extra room at their mound and Wiggles
could live there.

"We'll take good care of him and tell him everything he needs to know,"
Oreo said. "He is walking good now, and he looks great, so I think we
can take care of things from here on." With that, Oreo and Buttons took
Wiggles by the paw and the three started down the path.

Oliver and No. 421 started back home. Oliver took a basket and went off
to get some of those berries. No. 421 told Oliver to bring enough for
supper, and he would put on the kettle for tea.

No. 421 wrote in his logbook, Wiggles had arrived, and after spending a
few days sleeping in the holding field, he found his way to the Bridge.

No. 421 rang the bell for Bluebird to come. As she fluttered up to the
porch, he handed her a note.

"Please take this back to the Receiving Angel." No. 421 said. "He was
worried he had lost a ferret, but we found him, and he is fine. He is
with family, knows his Mom Granny is doing well, and probably eating
berries at this time. By the way, have you seen Oliver? He was suppose
to be back here with a pail full of berries for supper."

Bluebird smiled, kinda hard with a beak, but she managed. "Yes, Oliver
will be here shortly," she said. "I passed him on his way to Bakin'
Bertha's with his pail full of berries. He said he was taking some to
Honey and Fang. He said not to say anything, but he just wanted to see
that they had some too."

Just then, Oliver came up the path with his pail nearly full.

"Hi Bluebird," he said. "Got Wiggles all taken care of, I left him
picking berries with this family. Here are some for us, and uh, pail
is not full because I, uh, well, I had to share a few."

And with that explanation, Oliver went into the house. Bluebird gave
No. 421 a high three with one foot, took the note from No. 421, and
flew off on her errand.

So ended another successful greeting at the Rainbow Bridge.

[Posted in FML 6739]