When they arrived at their home, Joseph and Mary found that their little
helper had done a splendid job of putting everything away.  With the
exception of a saw handle sticking out from beneath a cabinet, the house was
in immaculate condition.  They looked at each other and smiled a smile that
only those who knew ferrets could smile.  Joseph forgot his anger over the
new taxes as he busied himself with preparations for the trip to Bethlehem.
 
"Mary, you lie down and rest while I get our things together for the
journey.  We'll leave just as soon as the cool of the night has set in.  I'm
going to go next door and ask Hezekiah If we can borrow his donkey.  I won't
have you walking all the way to Bethlehem in your condition."
 
With that, he kissed his wife gently on the lips and helped her into the
bed.  He waited until he heard her breathing become deep and slow.
Satisfied that she was asleep, he hurried out the door.
 
"Hezekiah, my friend," he called.  "Your family is from Nazareth, so you
surely won't be needing your donkey to register for the census..."
 
The sun had just settled into it's nightly journey to another place, and a
cool breeze sprang up as night settled onto the dusty streets of Nazareth
like an old and playful friend.  One particular and frisky gust rustled the
fur of Josh as he lay sleeping beneath the bed of his human parents.
 
"Ah," he thought with his dreaming mind, "My favorite time of the day has
arrived.  It's time to play and have fun."
 
As he yawned and stretched, fleeting glimpses of the dreams he had been
dreaming flashed teasingly through his mind.  In one, he saw himself at the
base of the largest palm tree he had ever seen; felt the joy of yummy dates
as they fell all around him in a neverending rain of treats.  In another, he
snuggled into the lap of God as every ferret in the universe played around
God's throne.  This was his favorite dream.
 
"Ah, there you are," he heard as he stretched again and poked his nose and
whiskers out from under the bed.  "Come, little one," Joseph said as he
gently picked Josh up with a large and calloused hand.  "Here, Josh, you
ride up here with Mary and keep her warm.  She has some dates for you."
 
"Now wait a minute," Josh began to protest.  "This donkey smells bad!  I
have no desire to go traipsing off into the night on the back of a dim
witted, foul smelling beast - especially at playtime!"
 
Then he remembered some other dreams he'd been having.
 
"Oh, Boy!" he shouted as he snuggled into Mary's lap and accepted a juicy
date from her outstreched hand.  "We're going to Bethlehem.  It'll be
Christmas when we get there."
 
To be continued....
 
Joy to the World!
[Posted in FML issue 1777]