Early morning at the Bridge, Mully's alarm clock went off waking him up; a little sable ferret named Oreo was due to arrive. Arriving at the Rainbow Bridge, Muldoone had time to reflect back to his time on earth with his familee and to his time at the Rainbow Bridge. Life at the Bridge was good, but no matter how good it was, ferrets had tucked away deep in their hearts pictures of a human they love and missed. Even though they could go to the far side of the Rainbow to peek in on their loved ones, familiees were there and the ferrets were at the Bridge. Knowing one day they would be reunited, still yet late at night, on birthdays, and on special occasions, there were tears shed by ferrets missing their familees. Muldoone had a wonderful life back on earth with his familee. He missed his mom the most, he loved their long talks, he missed the gentleness of her touch, and the smell of her long hair; he loved to climb into it and snuggle against her neck drinking in her scent. Drifting away on his memories and he almost didn't notice the shift in the breeze. The breeze had picked up and was swirling all around him. There was a breeze that was always present at the Rainbow Bridge, that breeze carried messages of hope from the broken hearts back on earth and those hearts whispered "I am sorry you could not stay with me longer I would have done anything to keep you with me longer." That same breeze carried messages back to the humans from the ferrets "I love you mom and dad and I will be waiting for you." The Rainbow Bridge Breeze carried many many messages of love to and fro to help hearts to heal. The intensity of the wind picked up even more and then Mully heard the Ferret Promise Song begin to speak to the heart of the one left behind; the words spoke of the hollowness creeping into the broken human hearts but the song sang also told of healing, of days to come, and love that does not die; it was Creator's promise. It told of life at the Bridge and days of bonds that would never to be broken; this being the wonderous gift given to each ferret at the moment of birth. It told of the sorrow of passing and the joy waiting in the Promise. The flash of light subsided and then Muldoone heard the unmistakable sounds of ferrety feets coming across the time-worn planks of the Rainbow Bridge; the Moonbeam Molly Express having delivered another ferret whose time on earth had been cut short. Mully stepped forward to greet the new arrival. "Welcomes to da Wainbow Bwidge Oreo, I be Mr. Muldoone, officialist Bwidge Gweeter." Muldoone leaned forward offering his nose to the little sable ferret in a friendly greeting. The little girl ferret sat down and looked all around and heaved a big sign. "So I bees here" she said at last. Muldoone was a little concerned about the obvious sigh from the new arrival and her statement. "Hey kid, dids you not knos you be coming to da Wainbow Bwidge?" Muldoone asked Oreo. "I bees sick for a whiles" is all the new arrival told him. "Uh watcha gots dere you bwings wif ya?" Mully asked Oreo admiring her stuffed animal and her colorful blankie. "Dis be my turtle and dis be my bwankie" she told him and then glaring at Muldoone "and you not habs em" Oreo told Mully. "Eazie kid" Mully told her laughing "I gots my own bwankies." Looking closely to see what else she may have brought Mully was a bit disappointed, it did not appear little Oreo brought any treats; raisins in particular. Fresh raisins from earth, they were the best and sometimes you could catch a wiff of a human hand still clinging to the raisins. "Misser Muldoone" the little girl Oreo began "I bees sick for a while but I feels gud now and I wike sumptin fun to eats and den I wants to pway, I not pway for a while acause I not feels gud" "We habs da fwuit bar or I can shows you to da 'Tone Stweams and den we can goes do Dirt Mountain or to Tube City, and we gots da Sock Steal Course so you tells me what you wants to eat and sees. And yur mom say to tell you dey dids eberyting dey coulds do and dey woves you bery much" Mully told her as they were heading down the path. Another ferret whose time had been cut short, a little girl named Oreo having just arrived who would be shown the ropes of the Bridge and here she will remain until her mom crosses and comes for her. Not to worry mom of Oreo, she will be loved and cared for at the Rainbow Bridge, she will know endless days of play, good food, treats, and friends but the one thing she will wait for will be the day you cross the Bridge and then you will take your precious Oreo in your arms and the two of you will cross the Rainbow Bridge together and you will never be separate from each other ever again. ~~Muldoone~~ Caring for your ferrets at the Rainbow Bridge. [Posted in FML issue 4984]