Early morning at the Rainbow Bridge and Muldoone was doing his favorite thing; in his hammy snoozing. Waking to a rap on the door, Mully yelled "goes away, I be sweeping." A cheery voice yelled through the door at him, "Misser Muldoonie, dis be EmmyWou and Nanna say for me to comes and gets you. I habs a brudder and a sistur-in-fur coming to the Bwidge dis monrin and my mamma say she want you to gweet dem" EmmyLouFerret yelled to him. Hearing the voice of EmmyLou brought a flood of memories causing Muldoone to rub the side of his head rembering the incident with the Gots-To-Be-Glue Hair Gel Emmy had brought to the Bridge for him when she came. What an embarassing incident that turned out to be. Without waiting for an invitation to come in, Emmy gingerly opened the door of Muldoone's bungalow and slipped inside. There laying in his hammy was EmmyLou's heart throb. She was so excited; the evening before she had gotten the news that her brudder and sistur-in-fur would be coming to the Rainbow Bridge and her mom had requested that Muldoone greet them. Having a chance at being near her bou, Emmy had spent a lot of time brushing her fur until it shined. She then searched through her backpack to find her nicest bonnet among others she brought with her to the Bridge. Selecting a pale green bonnet and spending some time to get the bow adjudusted just right under her tiny chin, out the door she went with both excitement and love in her heart. Mully was still in his hammy going into the second leg of a marathon stretching and yawning marathon when he glanced over at EmmyLouFerret and there she stood looking so pretty and Muldoone could feel his cheeks begin to burn bright red under his fur. He opened his mouth and all that came out was a bunch of gibberish. Turning even more red, Mully wondered why these pretty girl ferrets always got him so flustered. "Uh EmmyWou, can you gives me a minute, I needs to get weady" Muldoone told her. Suddenly realizing what he meant, Emmy excused herself and told Muldoone she would meet him outside. Climbing out of him hammy and visiting his "necessary corner" Mully then set about trying to tame his hammy-head-hair and get his cap on. "is be worst dan usualies" Muldoone muttered to himself as he raked at the tangles and tried to brush his hair. Finally giving up, he struggled getting his ballcap on and headed out the door. Waiting outside his bungalow, EmmyLouFerret flashed him a big smile dripping with love. Emmy thought he looked particularly handsome and she did not mind his hammy-head-hair at all. Shyly reaching out with a tiny paw to take one of Muldoone's much bigger ones, he didn't pull away and off to the Bridge they went to welcome Hope and MoonShadow; EmmyLou's brudder and a sistur-in-fur. Running to catch up with Muldoone and EmmyLou, Klancy arrived huffing and out of breath. "Misser Muldoone, Nanna say I helps you dis mornin wiff da gweeting" Klancy told him. "Oh no not you Quancy, goes away, you bees a bwat" Mully told him. "MULDOONE" boomed a loud voice, and none other than Nanna stepped out from behind a bush where she had apparently been watching and listening. "Klancy is here to help, there is a sizeable list of ferrets to locate and have them at the Bridge when Hope and MoonShadow arrive. I told Klancy he could help with finding the ferrets" Nanna told Mully scolding him. Turning to Klancy, Nanna's tone softened; "Klancy do you think you can find all the ferrets on this list and have them at the Bridge on time?" Nanna asked him. "Yes ma'am I be sure I can dooes it" little Klancy told her and off he went in search of all the ferrets. By that time other members of the Bridge Welcoming Group began to drift in. Nanna greeted everyone a warm "good morning" as all were preparing to make the journey to the Bridge for the welcoming. Forming a single file, all the ferrets began a solemn march towards the gate of the Rainbow Bridge. Each ferret felt a great sadness in their hearts for the two who were coming but they also knew coming to the Bridge could be a release from pain or sickness. Hope and MoonShadow felt the earth began to fall away from them and they were tumbling into nothingness. They were very frightened, not knowing what was happening to them or where they were going. The two ferrets slowly began to feel a new warmth of love and guidance as the Ferret Promise Song was being sung for them. The sad sweet melody seemed to swirl all around them and they both felt they were being cradled in the warmth of love and protection. A beautiful soft voice whispered to them, "come home wee-ones, we are waiting for you." The melody was now awash in their hearts and they no longer feared letting go. Thoughts were centered on those they loved most and their hearts whispered a message to their shelter ferret mom Jerrri; "we woves you but it be time for us to go." As the group arrived at the Bridge, Nanna began barking out orders for everyone; where to stand and what to do. Even though every group member knew their job, Nanna insisted in everything being perfect. The sweet sad Ferret Promise Song began to swell on the breeze offering comfort to a grieving heart back on earth and waiting to give a warm loving embrace to the those who were coming. The song told a story of happier times, of days of laughter and playtime, telling the story of a ferret found just in time to be given a second chance at a better life and of another whose time had come to a close. The song sang of days with two beloved fuzzies, with many health problems, quality of life no longer what it used to be and days when decisions had to be made, days of endless tears, the last bittersweet gift unselfishly given to the ones so loved. Mully as well as the other ferrets always felt the tugs of pain in their hearts when a fuzzy came to the Bridge; on one paw their struggle was over; old broken bodies traded in for younger healthy ones, years of abuse and neglect undone in a moment, but it also meant their time on earth was over, their march on the Creator's soil had come to an end and here they would wait. Muldoone, Nanna, Bailey, Freckles, Dude, and EmmyLou all joined paws forming a perfect circle of love. The groups of ferrets closed their eyes and concentrated on the two making their way to the Bridge. In the hearts of the group, they were sending their love for those being brought by MoonBeam Molly, the magical unicorn who brought ferrets to the Rainbow Bridge after they had passed. The group of ferrets were not only helping to light the way for those coming but also they were sending prayers of love for the humans who had loved the fuzzies; precious little lives cut short, leaving behind broken-hearted ferret moms. As they guided the two ferret on their way to the Bridge, SodaFerret stood in the center of the circle singing the Promise Song, sending all the love given by the Creator. Muldoone strained to listen but he didn't hear the usual sound of ferrety feets coming across the planks of the Rainbow Bridge, instead he heard the steady clop-clop-clop-clop of horses' hooves. MoonBeam Molly stepped off the end of the Rainbow Bridge and both Muldoone and Nanna could see she was very solemn and upon closer inspection, the beautiful gentle white unicorn was crying, Molly had streams of tears rolling down her beautiful face. "Good morning Molly, I see you have brought us something" Nanna said to the unicorn. As the unicorn began to speak, Muldoone though she had the most beautiful clear gentle voice he had ever heard. You could not only hear the love in her voice for the passengers she had brought, but love and gentleness seemed to radiate from her. Being in the presence of this wondrous creature, Muldoone could smell the scent of jasmine, magnolias, and honeysuckle that seemed to all blend together delicately and surround the beautiful her in a strange kind of mist. "Good morning Nanna and Muldoone" Molly told them, "yes I have two passengers; they are the newest residents to the Rainbow Bridge." Lowering herself to the ground to make it possible for her two tiny passengers to climb down, MoonBeam Molly very gently unfolded her second set of smaller wings that had cradled her precious cargo, keeping the two ferrets safe and secure for the flight from their world to the Rainbow Bridge. Two little heads peaked over the edge of the basket and both ferrets looked all around with eyes big and bright. Cautiously climbing down and taking another look around, the handsome silver ferret named MoonShadow searched the group of the Welcomers and then he saw a face that was familiar; he recognized EmmyLou. Both ferrets had been blind back on earth but for MoonShadow it was only at the end of his life. Little Hope had lost her sight for quite a while before coming to the Bridge. Standing next to her freind was a beautiful little girl ferret with a nose matching MoonShadow's; both were black as a lump of coal. "Moonie, I can sees, I can sees" the little girl ferret named Hope yelled to her fellow new arrival. "Mamma say we will sees when we gets here and she be right, I can sees again." "Hope, wook, it bees EmmyWou" MoonShadow yelled to her and both ferrets went running at Emmy with their arm open for a big hug. All three ferrets fell on the ground laughing, giving one another kisses, hugging, giggling and giving more kisses. Finally all three ferrets got to their feet and Emmy took belonging to each of them in her own. With tears in her eyes she began to speak, "Guys, I has a suryprise for you. Stepping back just a bit, Emmy looked to Muldoone and taking one of his big paws in one of her tiny velvet paws, she asked if everything was ready. Giving Emmy one of his biggest and brightest smiles, Mully winked at her and whispered yes, everything was ready. Taking several steps back out of the way, the Welcoming group got ready for what was coming next. Whops and hollers were heard, with much chattering and dooking and then a huge group of ferrets went charging at the new arrivals; Chomper, Snowflake, Mr. Snowball, Pistachio, Hoover, Wellington, Grace, Doodlebug, Ren, Stimp, Katie, Possum, and many more ferrets that made up the Ferret Haven Clan who had been lovingly cared for by shelter ferret mom Jerri C. MoonShadow had once been with shelter mom Jackie but then she looked high and low to find another loving shelter mom and MoonShadow then came to stay with his new shelter ferret mom Jerri. The reunion of the Ferret Haven Clan went on for quite a while. All the ferrets were giving one another kisses, washing ears, hugging, kissing, more giggles, dooks galore and weasel war dancing. After things quieted down a bit, SodaFerret approached the group. "Hopes and MoonieShaders, I has a messagus from yur mom, she say she loves you wots and wots and misses you a big bunchies." "I misses my mom a wot alweady" Hope stated with tears in her eyes. "My mommy wraps me up wike I be a peanutter and wrubs my ears for me. Will dere be someone here to dooes dat for me?" the little ferret Hope wanted to know. "And da mom wocks me to sweep at night and she sing a song for me" MoonShadow told Muldoone and the rest of the Welcoming group. "Dere bees someone here to do dat?" he wanted to know. Hopes and MoonieShaders Soda began, "dere be angels all over da pwace here and dey wikes to hold fewets. Dey wubbs our ears and scratchies our chins, and dey pway wiff us. And when you be missting yur mom, when da angels hold you, tink 'bout yur mom and da angel feel and smell just wike her when dey holds you" Soda explained to them. Grace and Katie stepped out from the group facing Nanna. They defiantly had something on their minds they wanted to ask. "Nanna cans we show Hopes and MoonShaders awound here at da Bwidge? Pwease Ms Nanna, cans we" the girls asked. "We gots wots of quessions to asksis bout da mamma, we wants to hear how da odder fewets be doin" Katie stated. Looking at all the little faces of the Ferret Haven Clan, how could Nanna refuse? Expressions on the faces of the ferrets were bright, eyes big and round, a few had tears in their eyes, they were missing home but wanted to hear all about deir ferret mom and da odder fewets. "I think that would be fine" Nanna told the group. There are certainly enough ferrets here to show you both around and help to get you settled. Watching the little group and seeing how happy there were to be reunited with two of their ferret friends, this made Nanna very happy. Going over to Klancy, Nanna put a gentle paw on his shoulder, "you did a good job finding every one Klancy' Nanna told him. "Tanks Nanna, I twies hard to be a Bwidge Helpers" Klancy told her. "I wants to grows up to be a Bwidge Gweeter someday.' Stepping away from the group, EmmyLou hurried over to Muldoone. She motioned for him to bend down so she could tell him something, she then whispered in his ear and gave him a tender kiss on one of his little furry cheeks. "Tanks for all you does Misser Muldoonie." Muldoone was blushed bright red under the fur on his face. Looking into the beautiful saphire blue eyes of EmmyLou, he gently reached down and adjusted the delicate bow under her chin holding her lovely bonnet in place. "You bees welcomes EmmyWou, I bees gwad I could helps" Mully told the little ferret. ~~Muldoone~~ Caring for your ferrets at the Rainbow Bridge. http://mrmuldoone.bravehost.com/index.html [Posted in FML 5587]