Early morning at the Bridge finds Muldoone still asleep.  Suddenly he
leaps out of his hammy at the sound of barking dog, BIG barking dogs.
Every hair on him is standing on end and he knows "someone" had been
messing with the settings on his alarm clock.  "Dat Nanna, boy if I eber
finds her awarm cwock, I makes some changes on it too".  Mully stumbles
off in the direction of his "necessary" corner and then tries his best to
get his hammy-head-fur to lay down.  "From da wooks of my fur, I needs a
ball cap for my whole body."
 
Mully heads off in the direction of the Bridge.  He was visited by Nanna
the night before to let him know another would be arriving this morning.
Arriving at the Bridge, Muldoone takes his place and then settles in to
wait.  A warm gentle breeze washes over him and dances through his
whiskers.  The Welcoming Song began to play swirling around him, its
sound being carried on the wind.  The lights in the sky glimmered and
shifted, painting the horizon in the brilliant colors of the rainbow.
The bright blue flash appeared and Muldoone waited for it to subside, he
then hears the sound of ferret feet approaching from the other side of
the well-worn planks of the Bridge.
 
Stopping at the end of the Bridge, the new arrival sits down to have a
lookaround.  Muldoone steps forward to introduce himself to the fuzzy.
He doesn't extend his nose in greeting this time, Nanna informed him the
night before that the new arrival Mouchie might be a bit aggressive and
Mully liked the end of his nose exactly where it was.
 
"Hewoo, I be Muldoone, officialist junior Gate gweeter, and you must be
Mouchie.
 
How do you know my name, Mouchie demanded.
 
From you earth mom Vickie, she sends your name and pwayers for you on da
moonbeam express, dat is how you gots here, you wode over on a moonbeam.
 
I wides overon a moonbeam Mouchie asks, eyes big and round.
 
Dats how we all gets here, same way da pwayers and messages from da
hoomans gets here Muldoone explains, dey all be collected by MoonBeam
Molly.
 
What be a MoonBeam Mouchie asks in wonder.
 
MoonBeam Molly be a unikorn Mully tells Mouchie, she wooks wike a horse
but she habs a stick toming out of her head in da front and she habs
wings dat she folds awound you when she jumps on da moonbean and bwings
you here.
 
But I don't wemember seeing da horse Mouchie tells Muldoone.
 
Dats otay Mully tells him, most don't wemember seeing da horse, you be
sweeping on your way ober.  How does your wegs feel Mully asks Mouchie.
 
Deyfeels weally gud and to prove it Mouchie give a quick leap into the
air; see dey works and dey not hurts.  Suddenly Mouchie gets a sad look
on his face and looks down at the ground for a long time.
 
"You be missin your mom huh, Muldoone asks him.
 
When Mouchie looks up again Muldoone can see the tears glistening on his
fur.  Yes, I misses my mom a wot.  She twy weally hard for me to wives
but I goes to sweep and wakes up here.  Mr. Muldoone cansthe Molly horse
fixes me and takes me back to my mom on earf??
 
Sworry Mouchie Muldoone tells his new friend, you will habe to stays
here wif us until it be your mom's time to cwoss but den you and her be
togedder 'gain den.But your mom sends a message to gibs to you; she says
dat she and your brudder Dereck miss you a wot and your cat sister Karma
misses sweeping wif you and Dereck is keeping your yellow duck safe wif
him.  "
 
Muldoone quickly begins telling Mouchie all about the Bridge trying to
take his mind off leaving his mom behind on earth.  "Mouchie we gots wots
of neat stuff here, we gots da otter swide, dirt mountain, sox city,
'tone stweams, chicken gwavy pond, da fruit and nut bar and you can eats
all you wantsand no bwockages.
 
Mouchie is silent for a long time and then asks Muldoone, don't you
misses your hooman-beans back on earf.
 
Sure I do Muldoone tells him but I knows dat I gets to sees em 'gain when
dey comes and we can goes back and bisit dem in der dweams.  I goes and
bisit my mom a wot.  Justyou waits and sees all da fun we habe here, and
tonight we gonna do a fwannel nightgown waid on da gurls, wanna comes
awong?
 
You betcha Mouchie answers excitedly and the two new friends go off down
a garden path laughing and making plans for the upcoming event.
 
"Just one ting you habe to watch out for, my boss name be Nanna and she
habs it in for me so you habe to watchout for her.  Just then a large
ferret comes charging out from behind a bush, I HEARD THAT MULDOONE!!!
WUN MOUCHIE, IT BE NANNA AFTER ME, WUN!!!
[Posted in FML issue 4613]