Early morning at the Bridge and Muldoone was engaged in his favorite thing; snoozing in his hammy. Nanna gave the edge of his hammy a tug and she was met with a resounding LOUD SNORE. She tugged a little harder and was greeted with an even LOUDER snore. Giving the hammy a quick yank and yelling "GOOD MORNING MULDOONE" brought a bout a quick result; Muldoone leaped out of his hammy landing on the floor with a resounding THUD and looked up to see Nanna standing there smiling. "Oh good you are up" Nanna said in a cheery voice. "Nanna, dooes you has to do dat?" Mully asked her with exasperation in his voice. "Muldoone you have a greeting to do this morning, we have a new Rainbow Bridge resident coming so you need to get up and get moving" Nanna told him. Stumbling off in the direction of his "necessary corner" Muldoone returned after several minutes following a habitual morning routine, loosing yet another battle with his hammy-head-hair. "Nanna, when will da Boss dooes sumptin about my fur?" Mully asked his supervisor. "Muldoone" Nanna began, "I have spoken with the Boss about your fur. He understands and has heard your request for your fur to be made like every other ferret here at the Bridge and I have to tell you He was not amused with your last attempt at fixing your hammy-head-hair. Muldoone, you must understand you look exactly as the Boss wants you to look. You have such a special gift when it comes to greeting newcomers and He wanted you to have a unique look from the other ferrets, you look exactly as the Creator wants you to look and my best advice to you is to accept it. In the beginning I was not sure why He picked you to be a greeter but the Boss recognized something in you the rest of us had overlooked so please stop trying to change yourself from the way you are meant to appear." "But Nanna" Mully began to object, "da odder fewets waff at me, dey makes fun of my hammy-head-hair, I wants to wook wike odder fewets." "I understand that Muldoone, but that doesn't change the fact you are exactly as the Creator wants you to be, being different is not a bad thing and to be hand picked by the Boss makes you a very special ferret" Nanna told him. "Muldoone, the ferret due to arrive this morning is a sweet and very handsome sable named Mr. Beepers. He was only three years old and his passing was very sudden. He is greatly missed by his familee but he has brothers and sisters in fur here so the Boss wants you to find them and have them there when he arrives" Nanna told him. "What be da names of da odder fewets?" Mully asked her. "The names of his brothers and sisters in fur are; Tigger, Blossom, Nestlee, Rosie, and of course you know Soda; Mz SunnyFerret's assistant. Go and find them and tell them Mr. Beepers is on his way here" Nanna instructed her junior Bridge greeter. Beepers was sleeping and woke with a start. Something wasn't right, he was awake yet he felt he was dreaming. He saw himself as a kit being cared for by his ferret mom and he was surrounded by his brothers and sisters. Then the day came when strange hands took him and his litter mates away from their mom; "No no I not wants to go, I wants to stay wiff my mom" Beepers yelled at the stranger. After a long and uncomfortable trip he arrived at his destiny and now more strange hands were touching him. Beepers felt sick, he didn't want anything to eat or drink and he didn't play. More strange hands touching him, he was taking away from his litter mates and put in a place all by himself. "Where dey goes" he would ask every time the hands would touch him, "I be loonliest, I miss my brudders and sisturs." Finally a nice couple looked at him through the glass and smiled. "May we see the little ferret?" the strangers asked. "He looks so lonely in there all by himself" the she-stranger said. "Would you like to come home with us?" the he -stranger asked. "We have a ferret that is lonely and I think you would make a nice friend for him." More strange hands touching him but this time the hands were nice. Another long trip but this trip was different, the strange hands became familiar, he enjoyed the feel of the hands and the scent of the human. "You look like a Beeper" the nice she-stranger told him "I think we will call you Mr. Beepers." "I be a Beeper, what be a Beeper?" the little ferret asked the stranger, blinking his eyes wide, "I not hears of a Beeper afore." Beepers saw himself growing into a strong healthy male ferret. He enjoyed all the good food he was given, he enjoyed his cagemates but most of all he enjoyed the love from his mom and dad. Beepers was a favorite among the other ferrets, especially the girls. "You be so big and stwong" they would tell him while batting their lashes at him when maybe all they wanted was to snuggle up to him; Beepers made for a nice big cozy bed to sleep on. Beepers felt the earth began to fall away and he felt he was tumbling into nothingness. At first he was frightened, not knowing what was happening or where he was going. Beepers began to feel a new warmth of love and guidance as a beautiful song of love was being sung for him. The sad sweet melody swirled all around him and he felt he was being cradled in the warmth of love and protection, the same feeling he got when being held by his mom. A soft calming voice whispered to him, "come home Beepers, we are waiting for you." The melody was now awash in his heart and Beepers no longer feared letting go. Thoughts were centered on those he cared for and would miss. In his heart he whispered a message to those he loved most; "I loves you mommy and daddy but it be time for me to goes, I pwomise to waits for you." Muldoone and Nanna closed their eyes and began to concentrate with all their might, their hearts sending love and strength to the ferret who had departed earth and was making his way to the Bridge. Still standing with his eyes closed tightly concentrating on Beepers and helping to guide him along the path, Muldoone heard a beautiful soft melody being sung. The voice was deep and rich, every note sang perfectly, every word wrapped in love for the ferret who was coming. The Ferret Promise Song now filled the air with its bittersweet refrain. The melody of love told the story of hope and promise and also of sorrow and loss all tied together in the cycle of life. It sang of pain fading away, of limbs being made strong again, and eyes once more bright, it told of the sorrow of passing and the joy waiting in the Promise. As Soda sang the sad sweet song, he also sang a song of love for the humans Beepers was leaving behind. He offered his love to the two humans who were hurting; tears falling on two broken hearts. The lights over the Bridge began to dance and swirl; colors more beautiful than ever seen on earth now painted the sky. The colors blended and then changed again; shades of pink gave way to peach and yellows then changed to a soft green that blended into a delicate blue that gave itself over to shades of lavender. A fine soft fairy dusting began to swirl all around Muldoone, Nanna, and Soda; they knew the ferret known as Mr. Beepers was on his way. The flash of light subsided and then Mully heard the unmistakable sound of ferrety feets making their way 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. The newcomer crossed the Bridge cautiously; he seemed a bit confused and was eying the other ferrets standing at the other end of the Bridge. He saw a large silver and white ferret wearing a bright yellow apron. He saw a very funny looking ferret wearing a baseball cap with the wildest looking fur sticking out from under it going in all directions. And then he saw, in the distance he saw, could it be he wondered; mom explained to them as the others left they would see them again someday, she promised them they would meet again, could it be?! Beepers ran the rest of the way across the Bridge. As he ran he was calling out the names of his friends; "Tiggerest, Bwossom, Nessilee, SodaPoppers, Wosie, is dat weally you?! Mom say I finds you 'gain!" Beepers reached the end of the Bridge and the five ferrets waiting for him ran to embrace him. "Misser Beeper, I so happiest to sees you" Blossom told him. Tigger was doing his best to hold Beepers down and clean his ears for him. "OUCH OUCH DAT BE MY TOE!" Beepers cried out, "who bites me?" he demanded to know. Nestlee giggled and told him "you still tasties da same as you did." Helping Mr. Beepers to his feet, Tigger and Blossom each took one of Beepers' paws and asked "how be mom and dad? We misses dem a wot." Soda approached Beepers and began to sniff him from head to toe, stroking his fur and drinking in the scent. "SodaPoppers, what you be doin?" Beepers asked him. "With tears in his eyes Soda told him "you smells wike our mom and dad. Nanna approached the little gathering and she waited for the excitement to settle down for a bit and finally she cleared her throat and spoke. "Beepers, my name is Nanna and this is Muldoone" she gestured in the direction of Mully. We have come to welcome you to the Rainbow Bridge. "You be Nanna?" Beepers asked the large silver and white ferret. I hears 'bout you and da waisins you keeps in yur pocket" Beepers told her. Beepers then turned and fixed his gaze on Muldoone. "You be Misser Muldooniest?" Soda asked him. I hears all 'bout you and yur hammiest-head-hair" he stated laughing. "Da name be Mr. Muldoone" Mully informed the newcomer. Turning to Nanna, "sees what I mean Nanna?" "I be sworry Mr. Muldoonie" Soda told him, "my mom tells me 'bout dis pwace and 'bout you, she say eberyones kno bout yur hammy-head-hair. Blushing a bright red under his furry cheeks, Muldoone could not think of anything to say. Breaking the silence Soda stepped forward "Nanna it be oks if wiff you, cans we shows Mr. Beepers awound at da Bwidge? We wants to hear all 'bout our mom and dad." "Pwease Nanna" little Rosie spoke up, we misses our mom and dad and we wants to hears all 'bout dem." "I suppose that would be ok" Nanna told them. It was your mom and dad's request that you all be here to greet Beepers when he arrived. You have my blessings to show him all around at the Bridge." As the crowd of ferrets were beginning to drift away down a path with Rosie pointing out things to Beepers, Muldoone trotted up behind them. "Uh Beepers, dooes you wike fwannel?" Muldoone asked him with excitement in his voice. Beepers was a very handsome ferret and Muldoone felt he could use him to charm the girl ferrets keeping them distracted so he could sneak in and nab their flannel nightiegowns. "I HEARD THAT MULDOONE" Nanna shrieked at him. ~~Muldoone~~ Caring for your ferrets at the Rainbow Bridge. http://mrmuldoone.bravehost.com/index.html [Posted in FML issue 5184]