As Muldoone is strolling along the garden paths in late afternoon, he senses something different. His whiskers begin to tingle and he thinks to himself, no fewets comes at dis time of day, what be goin on. Rounding a bend he almost runs smack into Nanna, not the ferret he was especially looking to bump into, he knew she was still questioning the others about his involvement in the latest flannel nightgown raid. "Muldoone follow me, we have a special greeting to do" Nanna tells him. "At dis time of day Nanna, Mully questions, I tought dey only comes in da mornings. Not this time Muldoone, we are needed at the Bridge now" and reaching down to firmly grasp one of Muldoone's paws off they head in the direction of the Bridge. Arriving at the Bridge Muldoone sees the gently swirling fairy dust in the air. He looks up and sees the colors of the rainbow begin to grow brighterand they seemed to almost glow. Anodder fewet comes Mully says to no one.Yes Muldoone, another ferret comes but not just one, there will be four ferrets arriving. FOUR FEWETS BE COMIN NANNA, Muldoone asked. Yes Muldoone, there will be four ferrets arriving Nanna explained. With the familar flash of bright light, Muldoone and Nanna know the arrival of the first ferret was only moments away. Mookie came dancing his way across the Bridge with Suzy Derkins riding on his back, it was obvious they were the best of buddies. Next came Smokey and then Baby and as soon as Smokey arrived he asked to see his old buddy Bandit. Mookie being the obvious spokes-ferret for the small group stood up straight and tall and introduced himself and the others. "Welcome to the Bridge Mookie" Nanna softly spoke as she bent over offering her nose in a friendly greeting to the others, my name is Nanna and this is my associate" gesturing to Muldoone. "I be Mr. Muldoone, da officialist Bwidge Gweeter Mully informs Mookie and the others, what would you like to do first?" Mookie thought for a minute and just then Baby tugged at his paw and gesturing for him to bend down so she could whisper something into his ear. "I ask dem Baby, not to wury" Mookie informs her. "Mr. Muldoone and Mz Nanna,dere be odder fewets who comes here afore we do and we would likes very much to sees dem." So many times when a ferret arrives at the Bridge they ask to see other ferrets that passed on before them and what joyous reunions they have. You have never been to a reunion until you have seen a group of 'Tone-drunk fuzzbutts, what a loud bunch they can be. All of a sudden there was a comotion from a distance. Names were being called out, dooking and clucking, clucking and dooking. The four newcomers errupted in a fit of dooking giggles and ran to throw their arms around the fuzzbutts making all the racket. Weasel war-dancing galore!! Giggling, laughing, tickling, more weasel war-dancing, one fert got so excited she was trying to do a weasel war-dance laying on her back. "Nanna who be all dese fewets Muldoone asked. Obviously old friends answered Nanna, from the looks of things, I would say they all know one another." Nanna stood there watching the group hug and tickle one another getting totally gone with silliness, more weasel war-dancing, more hugging, more ferret kisses passed around. "I will have to use my ear plugs tonight to get get any rest from the looks of this crew" grumbles Nanna. The reunion party continued on for hours and hours. Muldoone drifted in and out of their circle catching snatches of conversation about how different ferrets were doing back on earth and of course there were the questions about how the hooman-beans were doing. Finally as the first rays of pink sky were streaking overhead Mully tells his new-arrival friends to party on but his hammy was calling for him. What a great reunion they all had but just then Muldoone remembered the small little girl ferret asking Mookie something and him telling her he would find out. Mully ran back to the group and calls Mookie over and asks him, "what was it dat Baby wanted to know if we habs here." Mookie thought for a moment and got a big smile on his face, "she wants to know if dey habs stwarburies and wasins here." Mully broke out with the biggest grin and told Mookie, "tells her yes we habs dat here, we habs all kinds of gud food to eat and you can eats all you wants and neber gets sick or stopped-up." "Tomorrow after you guys are dun partyin I shows you awound and yous can see all dat is here." As Mookie goes back to the party, Muldoone thinks back to his own ferret brudders and sisturs and for a moment feels a pang of loneliness. Someday I gets to gweet my fwends here dat I knows on earf and he whispers his words of love to to the hearts of his hooman-beans back on earth. [Posted in FML issue 4642]