When we left off yesterday, Ping, Puma, and France had safely landed the
tractor in the Worcerster Ecotarium zoo.  Ping had scrambled up and over
a low wall, and Puma was following.  As she did so, the strangest smell
was carried to her on the breeze.  It was familliar, yet....unfamilliar.
It was an exciting smell....with a hint of.....fish?
 
Puma was nearly to the top of the wall when she heard a terrible
commotion from the direction of the tractor.  She smiled to herself,
realizing that there was *no* possible way for France to get down by
herself!  The very thought made her smile.  She felt very centered at
that moment, but back to the climb.  One last scramble, and she was up,
and...over!  And oh, what she saw....TWO OF THE BIGGEST *AMNED FERRETS
ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH, TOUCHING NOSES WITH PING!!!!
 
They were very long and brown, with wide noses, and standing up on their
back feet in a pool of water, their front paws against the tiled wall
that she and Ping were now both on top of..  Their whiskers were like
broom straws, and they really, really smelled like...fish.  In fact,
there were assorted fish parts and individual scales clearly visible
strewn about the bottom of their pool, which was of a goodly size, and
deep in places.  Puma took a few tentative steps toward them, but was
afraid.  They were really, REALLY big!  Ping turned toward her and said
"It's OK, Dude, come meet them!"
 
Puma took a few more steps until she could stretch out her neck to its
grestest length and just barely touched noses with the nearest one, who
said in that same deep voice she had heard earlier, "Hello, Little
Sister!" The other one said "We Otters are delighted to be visited by
Ferrets.  You are so small, so...dry!  What brings you to our pool?"
 
"Well, Dudes," said Ping, "I read on the Ecotarium website that you guys
hung out here, and I thought it would be cool to come say 'hi', you know?
So here we are."
 
"Delightful!'"said the first, and "Delightful!,"said the second, too,
both in those beautiful deep, rich voices.  Puma was at a complete loss
for words.  They were so...big!
 
"Is there anything you Dudes need?," asked Ping.  The first looked at the
second, and blinked lazily a few times, considering.  The second finally
answered "Well we have all the fish we could ever ask for here, and clean
water to splash in, and a slide, and toys..." The first bent toward the
second, cupped a paw around the second's ear, and whispered something.
The second said "Hmmmm.  There is *one* thing...."
 
"Anything for family, Dude!,"said Ping
 
"We heard you come in," said the first.  "*Everybody* heard them come
in," interjected the second.  "So you have transportation, yes?,"
continued the first.
 
"Oh, yeah, Dude!," said Ping.  "Want a ride?"
 
"Actually," said the first, smiling and turning to look at the second,
who smiled broadly in return, "we do."
 
(End Part Four)
Alexandra in MA
[Posted in FML issue 4947]