Early morning at the Bridge, Muldoone was still sleeping and suddenly he leaped out of his hammy at the sound of barking dogs; B I G barking dogs. Every hair on him was standing on end and he knew "someone" had been messing with the settings on his alarm clock. "Dat Nanna, boy if I ever finds her awarm cwock, I makes some changes on it too." Mully stumbled off in the direction of his "necessary corner" and then tried his best to get his hammy-head-hair to lie down. "From da looks of my fur, I needs a ball cap for my whole body." Realizing it was hopeless, his unruly fur had won another battle, Mully gave up and headed out the door in the direction of the Bridge to greet the new ferret that would be arriving. Muldoone felt the pain of the one on earth who was leaving his body behind and embarking on a new journey. For the wee-one, he was leaving a sickly body and making his way to a better place; a place free of all pain and illness but sadly it was also to a place that would separate him from the person he loved so much. Mazoo felt the warmth and love in the Ferret Promise Song being sung by Soda Ferret. The sad sweet melody of the Ferret Promise song seemed to swirl all a round him and he felt he was being cradled in love and protection. Mazoo heard a beautiful soft voice whisper to him "Come home wee-one we are waiting for you." The melody was now awash in his heart and he no longer feared letting go. His thoughts were centered on the one he loved most and his heart whispered a message to his familee, I be sorry but I no can stay, pwease forgives me." In the bright sky over the Rainbow Bridge the Ferret Promise Song filled the air with its bittersweet refrain. Muldoone had heard the melody many many times but it still caused him pain in his heart, missing his own familee back on earth. The song sang of hope and promise, 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 clear and bright, it told of the sorrow of passing and the joy waiting in the promise. At the moment of each ferret's passing the Creator gently took them into His thundering velvet right hand and whispered to their hearts "I knew you before you were a ferret, I knew you while you were on earth, and now you have returned to Me. Rest now wee-one, you are home, come and start your new journey that begins at the Bridge." The flash of light subsided and then Mully heard the unmistakable sound 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. Watching the newcomer taking cautious steps coming across the Bridge, Muldoone recognized the uncertainties the new arrival must be feeling. So many ferrets arrived at the Bridge afraid, sad to be away from their familees, even a some had arrived and were angry about coming to the Bridge; they felt they had not had nearly enough time on earth with their hoomans, and others arrived at the Bridge, sad to be gone from their familee, but happy to have shed their sickly and "not functioning so well" old body and be gifted with a new one. Stepping out to greet the new arrival, "Hello, I be Mr. Muldoone, officialist Wainbow Bwidge Gweeter" he told the little new comer, "welcomes to the Bwidge. Your name be MadderZooks?" Mully asked him. For a long time Mazoo said nothing, he just stared at all the new sights before him. "Hey kid, you be ok?" Muldoone asked him. "You knos where you be? You be at da Wainbow Bwidge, you not bees sick no mores" Mully explained to him. "Yes I knos where I bees and da name be Mazoo, not MadderZooks" the latest Bridge arrival announced to Muldoone with a scowl on his face. "And what da heck be wrong wiff yur fur?" Mazoo asked Mully, "it be as messed up as da way you talk." Muldoone blushed a bright red under his furry cheeks. I tink we gets off on da wong feets wiff dis guy Mully thought to himself. "Uh, sworry bout da name kid, I dooes habe twouble wiff names and my fur, dat be why I wears da cap all da times" Muldoone explained to Mazoo. "It be oks Misser Muldoone, and I be sworry what I say bout yur fur" Mazoo told Mully. "I knos I be coming to da Bwidge, my dad tells me all bout it. All fewets knos bout da Wainbow Bwidge. My wast night wiff my dad, he wets me way on his chest and I breave in his smell and I keeps it in my heart so I not forgets him. I had a gud dad Misser Muldoone and I misses him" Mazoo told Mully. "Mazook" Muldoone began "we all misses our familees when we gets here, I misses my familee a wot but dey comes for us when it be deir time. Da Cweator make dat pwomise to us and He always keeps his pwomises. Yesserday we be pwaying in da medder and a fewet names Cwoie comes wunnin to us and say her mom be coming to takes her home. Cwoie bees here a wong time but she wait for her mom and now dey be back agedder. You bees wiff yur dad again" Muldoone told him. "What kinds of tings you wikes to do Mazook?" 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. "You pwomise I gets to see my dad again?" Mazoo asked Mully. "I pwomise" Muldoone told him. "I shows you how you sneaks back and visit yur dad when he be sweeping, you can gives him whiskery kisses and he will tink he be dweamin but it be weal, we all dooes it, we sneaks back and peeks in on our familee." Mazoo thought for a long time before speaking. Muldoone was getting worried about the new arrival, some ferrets accepted all this better than others. Finally Mazoo met Mully's gaze "You say dere be a fwuit bar here? Shows me da way, I bees hungry." ~~Muldoone~~ Caring for your ferrets at the Rainbow Bridge. http://mrmuldoone.bravehost.com/index.html [Posted in FML issue 5179]