Early morning at the Bridge and Muldoone was engaged in his favorite indoor sport; snoozing in his hammy. Rousing him from a sound sleep was his alarm clock and reaching over to hit the snooze button, getting out of his hammy was the last thing he wanted to do but also knowing he would be late getting to the Bridge if he didn't get up and get moving. So instead of stealing another few minutes and depending on the alarm clock to awaken him again, Mully climbed out of his hammy and made his way to his "necessary corner". Having another morning battle with is hammy-head-hair and once again loosing the fight, Muldoone got his cap on best as he could, covering as much unruly hair as the cap would cover, out the door he went on his way to the Bridge to greet the newcomer due to arrive. Tiger felt strange, he didn't feel like himself at all and he felt he was falling and tumbling into nothingness. At first it was a frightening experience, not knowing what was happening or where he was going. But then he began to feel a new warmth of love and guidance as a beautiful love song was being sung just for him. The sad sweet melody swirled all around him and he felt the words of love cradling him in love. A soft calming voice spoke to him telling him "it is time for you to come home now Tiger, we are waiting for you." The melody now filled his heart and Tiger no longer feared letting go. Thoughts were centered on those he cared for and would miss. In his heart he whispered a message to his mom; "I loves you mommy but it be time for me to goes, I pwomise to waits for you." Waiting at the Bridge for the arrival to come were Nanna and Muldoone. The two ferrets 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 Tiger 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. The song explained pain fading away, it told 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 human Tiger was leaving behind. Soda offered his love to the human who was hurting; tears falling inside the broken heart at the loss of a dear friend who she had shared her life with and loved so dearly. 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 Tiger was on his way. Finally the flash of light subsided and Mully could hear the unmistakable sound of ferrety feets making their way across the time-worn planks of the Rainbow Bridge. The arrival of MoonBeam Molly signaled the arrival of a new Rainbow Bridge resident but it also meant there was a shattered heart back on earth, the life of another ferret 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. Just as Tiger stepped off the end of the Rainbow Bridge, Muldoone stepped out offering his nose to the newcomer in a friendly greeting. "I be Misser Muld oone, officialist Wainbow Bwidge Gweeter and I bees here to welcomes you. Dis be Nanna" Mully told the handsome sable ferret, "we comes to welcomes you." "Hello Tiger" Nanna told the new arrival, "my name is Nanna." For a long time Tiger just stared at all the new sights before him. Nanna and Muldoone were both wondering if he had heard them, Tiger had a handsome blaze but everyone knew once you arrived at the Rainbow Bridge you could hear even if you had been deaf while on earth. Finally the handsome sable ferret turned to face Muldoone and Nanna. "I not wants to comes here but I guesses it be my time" Tiger explained to them. "How do you feel?" Nanna asked Tiger. "I feels gud, I not hurts, I feels wike I feels when I bees a kit" Tiger explained. "Yes that is the gift of the Creator" Nanna explained to him, "when we arrive here at the Bridge we are all restored to our youth and perfect health. There is no adrenal disease, no cancers, ever ferret can see and hear perfectly ." Tiger looked sad or at least Muldoone thought he did and he knew he had to think of something fast. "Tigers tells me bout yur wife on earf wiff yur familee, I hads a gud familee." For a long time Tiger didn't say anything, he got a far away look in his eyes and Muldoone was certain he saw a tear slide down the ferret's cheeks. Finally Tiger found his voice and he began to explain his the life he had left behind on earth. His hooman dad had passed away and Tiger missed him a lot but he was also missing his mom a lot too. "What kinds of tings you wikes to do Tiger?" Mully asked him. "We gots all kinds of fun stuff here, we gots da Otter Swide, Wessle-Mania, da Fruit Bar, da Chicken Gwavy Pond, 'Tone Stweams, da Soc Steal Course, Dirt Mountain and wots more" Muldoone chattered on and on. Soda stepped forward to introduce himself to Tiger. "Hello Tiger, my name be Soda and I shows you how you sneaks back and visit yur mom when she be sweeping, you can gives her whiskery kisses and she tink she be dweamin but it be weal, we all dooes it, we sneaks back and peeks in on our familee." "I wud wike dat a wot" Tiger told Soda, I misses my mom alweady. "Come on Tiger" Muldoone sang out, "wets go to da fwuitbar for some bweakfast and den I shows you da west of da Wainbow Bwidge." ~~Muldoone~~ Caring for your ferrets at the Rainbow Bridge. http://mrmuldoone.bravehost.com/index.html [Posted in FML issue 5196]