LIGHTING THE TREE

A RAINBOW BRIDGE CHRISTMAS STORY

by Paul E. Jamison

 

Part I. Preparations and Departures

 

"…And that, kids, is how Toby the littlest elf helped Santa Claus to bring Christmas to the Land of the Shining Silver Flowers."

 

The group of little fur children clapped their paws together with glee; even the older animals applauded. A ferret kit said, "That was fun, Unca Sammy! You tell good stories!"

 

"Yeah!" piped up a kitten. "I loved that part about the buhbuh-birds and how Toby tricked ‘em! Tell us another story! We wanna hear more!"

 

At this, all of the kits and kittens began shouting for "Another story! Another story!" Sammy grinned and held up his paws to quiet them down. The dark-eyed white ferret replied, "I don’t know about that, guys. If I tell you all my stories, there won’t be any to listen to later. That’ll have to be enough for now."

 

Lucy Skydiamond, the ferret that cared for all these furkids, said, "Now, children, you mustn’t be greedy. Uncle Sammy gives so much of his time for you, and it’s not nice to demand more of him."

 

The kids were disappointed, of course. Sammy looked at a sad little face and said, "There will be other stories, and they’ll be even more exciting; I promise you that." He smiled. "I am very glad that you enjoy my stories; it makes me proud. Thank you for liking them."

 

Thirteen little voices replied as one, "Thank you, Unca Sammy!"

 

At this point, Murphy came forward and said, "Besides, kids, we’ve all got something important to do now." The ferret grinned his famous Murphy grin and went on, "I’ll bet you haven’t forgotten that, have you?"

 

This was enough to get the furkids all excited again. "No, Unca Murphy! Yes, we remember! The Christmas tree! We’re gonna have a Christmas tree!!" Soon the little ones were hopping around and yipping with joy.

 

Murphy frowned at them. "Are you sure you want one, though? You haven’t seen one before, and it’s a lot of trouble to go to for what might be a big disappointment. Overrated things, Christmas trees." He wasn’t above teasing them a little.

 

A ferret kit replied, "Oh, no, Unca Murphy! You and Unca Sammy and Aunt Weezie and Mommy have said so many good things about Christmas trees and how pretty and shiny they are! We wanna have a pretty tree of our own!"

 

"Well, okay, if you want to, I guess we’ll have to get on with it." It was all Murphy could do to keep a straight face. Then he turned and looked at a younger ferret standing next to him and said, "Say, Weez, I just remembered something – this is your first Christmas as well! You haven’t seen a Christmas tree before either, have you?"

 

Weezie smiled and replied, "No, you’re right, Murphy, I haven’t. I did find the decorations in a closet and got into them, but it’s not the same as seeing them on a tree." She said, a little more softly, "I didn’t stay with my Mommy long enough to spend Christmas with her."

 

Murphy nodded; Weezie still felt a little guilty about leaving her human so soon and crossing over to the Rainbow Bridge. He said, "I know, Weezie, but the time will come when you see her again, and you’ll always spend Christmas together after that. For now you and these kids can see what all the fuss is about."

 

A ferret kit, one of the tiniest of the group, spoke up at this point. "Unca Murphy, I’ve been wondering about something. I’m sure that there are other religions represented here under the Bridge. Do they celebrate Christmas too?"

 

Murphy knelt down beside the inquisitive little kit and said, "Well, Jake, that’s a good question. I know that our human Mommies and Daddies back home believe a lot of different things. Christianity, of course, and Judaism – Sammy, didn’t you tell me once that your Mommy is Jewish? I thought so – and Paganism and Wicca. Not all of them celebrate Christmas back home, and so not all the animals under the Bridge will observe Christmas. That makes sense, doesn’t it?"

 

"Uh huh. A lot of them have Winter holidays, too. I bet that means that the Pagans will celebrate the Solstice, huh? Unca Sammy, will you be celebrating Hanukkah, wearing a yarmulke and lighting a menorah?"

 

Murphy raised his eyebrows. He looked at Lucy, who shrugged and said, "I don’t know where he gets it; I was never like that when I was his age. I think he takes after his Father."

 

Sammy replied to Jake. "Yes, I do intend on celebrating Hanukkah. I’ll be lighting the eight candles, but I hadn’t thought much about the yarmulke. I may look into it." He smiled at the kit and went on, "but that doesn’t mean that I won’t be celebrating Christmas with you kids. It’s a special time, no matter what we believe."

 

Murphy said, "He’s right, little one. The Rainbow Bridge is a place of joy and love, and Christmas is a special day when all that comes into focus. Not all the furfolks here follow the Christian path, but the Christmas holiday, and what it stands for, mean a lot to us all."

 

At this point Weezie called out, "Hey, everybody! The others are here!"

 

Two large dogs – a Rottweiler and an Afghan – were approaching beside a handsome white stallion. On the horse’s back rode a sable and a cinnamon ferret. Murphy smiled and called out, "Well, there’s a bunch that looks like it’s ready to do important things! Hiya, Ollie! Hey, Louie!"

 

Ollie, the Rottweiler, answered, "Hiya, Murph! Hi, folks! You been waiting long for us?"

 

"Oh, no, this is excellent timing. Sammy’s been entertaining these kids with some of his yarns." Murphy turned and greeted the horse and its riders, with a bit more respect. "Elder Silver, Elder John, Tonto. I’m glad that you could join us."

 

The sable ferret sighed and said, "Murphy, please don’t be so formal. I’ve never been comfortable with it. Just call me John."

 

"Okay – John." Murphy smiled one of his odd smiles and said, "Or how about I call you ‘Lone’?"

 

The other ferret shook his head. After he and his two friends had transported some orphan kits to their foster Daddy some time back, folks had taken to referring to him as "The Lone Ranger". He smiled back and replied, "John will do.

 

"Okay, Murphy, you’ve got this project all mapped out, I’m sure. Who’s gonna be doing what?"

 

John Reid – the one known as the Lone Ranger – and Silver were two of the Rainbow Bridge Elders, so it may seem odd that they were willing to take orders from a non-Elder. But Murphy was a take-charge kind of guy, with very good leadership skills. Everyone got along with him well. Whether he ever became an Elder himself, only time would tell.

 

Now Murphy was all business. "Right. I figure that we’ll split into two groups. One will go into the woods to find a tree. The other will go after the decorations; that’s going to be a little more involved."

 

The horse said, "Am I right in thinking that you’ll need me to pull the tree back, Murph?" Some of the others nodded; this made sense.

 

Murphy’s answer surprised them all. "No, Silver, I’ve got a different idea. I figure Ollie and Louie can handle the tree OK. I’ve got you pegged for the decorations. Most of them won’t be a problem. But one special ornament is a bit far away.

 

"You see, I’m planning a special topper for this tree. You see those mountains over there? I want you and some others to climb the tallest one. Once you’re at the top, I want you to pluck a star from the sky. That will be our tree topper."

 

For the longest time, nobody else made a sound; they were all too stunned to say anything. Then everyone except Murphy began talking at once. The older animals protested at how absurd the idea was, and the thirteen youngsters just jabbered for the sake of jabbering. The result was, to put it mildly, noisy.

 

Murphy said nothing; he wouldn’t have been heard anyway. He just let the noise die down until he could raise his front legs and call out, "Okay, folks, one at a time! Silver?"

 

The horse said, "Murphy, are you out of your mind? Look how far away those mountains are! Look how tall they are! No horse alive could survive a journey like that, much less make it and get back here in a reasonable amount of time!"

 

Murphy smiled and replied, "You’re forgetting something, friend. We’re under the Rainbow Bridge. I don’t think we have to worry about such things as survival anymore.

 

"Silver, I wouldn’t ask you to do this if I thought it would be any hardship for you. But I don’t think it will be. Yes, if this were Earth, there’s no way you could travel that far or climb that high. But this isn’t Earth; it’s a special place, and we don’t suffer from the same ills or the same hurts like we did back there. Tell me, since you crossed to the Bridge, have you ever been in pain or been sick?"

 

The white horse thought for a second and said, "Well, no. My muscles usually ache after a hard run, but it’s a good kind of ache. Now that you mention it, I’ve never gotten a chill or a turned ankle since I’ve come here."

 

Silver looked again at the mountains and continued, "I see what you mean. We have left all our hurts behind, haven’t we? There’s no way that I’ll break a leg or something climbing those peaks, is there? For that matter, I was worried about the thin air up there – but that probably isn’t relevant anymore either, is it?"

 

"Not the way I figure it."

 

The horse nodded. "Still, that is a quite a ways away. I don’t see how we’ll have time to get there and back."

 

Murphy replied, "I’ve thought about that, too. But like I said, this is a special place. I don’t think that distance means the same thing here as it did back on Earth. I think it all depends on what we need. Yeah, those mountains look far away right now, but we need them to be closer if we’re going to do this, and that’s how they’ll be for you. I don’t believe that they’ll be as far away or as high as you expect. Someone will make sure that they aren’t."

 

Silver looked at the ferret thoughtfully, and then he turned to look at the mountains again. The horse finally said, "You know, Murphy, it all sounds pretty odd to me, and I could probably poke holes in it until after next Christmas. But you make it sound so reasonable. And one thing I do know about you – you have this way of being right about things."

 

Then the horse smiled and said, "All right. I’m willing to give it a try."

 

Little Jake piped up, "But Unca Murphy! Stars are giant balls of superheated plasma and gasses! The radiation alone will keep you from getting anywhere near ‘em, and that’s not taking into account the gravitational pull! We couldn’t even use the smallest brown dwarf to top a tree! What can we do with a star?"

 

Everyone stared at the little kit and said nothing. This flustered him, and he stuttered, "Uh – I read a lot."

 

Murphy shook himself and replied, "Ah – right. Well, that’s the way stars are back in the old Universe. But I think it’s different here, like with a lot of other things. Stars don’t need to be much more than points of light for us, nor do they have to be too far away, and I think that’s what we’ll find when we go after one. One will be just right for our tree, and it won’t be hard for us to use."

 

From the back of Silver, Tonto said, "I’m sure you’re right about all this, Murph, though I’m not sure how I’m sure. It’s daylight, now. How will we see the stars to pick one? Do we wait until dark?"

 

"We won’t be waiting that long. The best I can say is that you’ll see it when it’s right for you to see it. Not any sooner or later than that."

 

Sammy said, "Murphy, I believe you’re right, too. I have to ask, though – how do you know this is all true? Did somebody tell you?"

 

"Well, no, not exactly. I’d never thought about it before, but then suddenly I knew all this. I think someone just – allowed me to know it."

 

They all nodded at this. The Rainbow Bridge was like that.

 

Louie said, "Well, I was kinda wondering how we’ll know which is the right tree, but this pretty much covers that, too, I guess."

 

Murphy smiled and replied, "I guess it does. Right, all that’s settled – let’s get going. We’ll separate into two teams. John, it makes sense for you to go with Silver. I’ll go with Ollie and Louie for the tree. Weezie, I think you’d do the most good going with Silver and John. They’ll detour on the way back to pick up the decorations. Cookie has them in storage at his kitchen, and you can help get them sorted out.

 

"Tonto, I guess you’ll go with Silver, and Sammy, you’ll probably go with me to get the tree. Is that okay by you guys?"

 

Tonto said, "Actually, Murph, I was thinking that I’d like to go with you after the tree. I’m familiar with these woods and that may help you some. Besides, I haven’t seen much of you lately; it would give us a chance to catch up. What do you think, Kemosabe? Can you get along without me?"

 

The Lone Ranger nodded and replied, "I have no problems with that, friend."

 

Sammy said, "In that case, I’ll go with you, John. I’d like to see those mountains."

 

Murphy said, "Fine. I think that’s it, then." He turned to Lucy and the little ones. "Now, kids, you’ll have to stay here. But that doesn’t mean you can’t help us. While we’re gone, I’d like you to clear some of this snow away. We’ll need a big round, flat area to set the tree in. Do you think you guys can do that?"

 

The furkids cheerfully answered, "Yes, Unca Murphy!" Teeny, one of the kittens, said, "We’ll do a real good job, too! You wait and see!"

 

Sammy spoke up. "You kids keep a watch out while we’re gone, and protect your Mommy. Somebody might come along and want to take our spot here. You’ll have to make sure that they don’t."

 

Teeny’s eyes got big and she said, "Who’d want to do that, Unca Sammy?"

 

"Why, the buhbuh-birds, of course! If they do come here – you guys trick ‘em!" The little furkids all solemnly promised that they would.

 

Murphy called out, "All right, everybody, we’ve got a tree to trim! Let’s go!"

 

Part II. Getting the Tree

 

Winter is a special time under the Rainbow Bridge. There are no blizzards or heavy snowstorms or icestorms, and nobody suffers from the cold. Just enough snow falls to give everything that unique white beauty – and to give furkids something to play in. And it’s just cold enough for everyone to see their breath – which is fun in its own way – and to enjoy the taste of a steaming mug full of hot cocoa. It’s the type of winter weather that’s ideal for Christmas.

 

The Rottweiler and the Afghan trotted through the snow, each with a ferret riding his back. Everyone had a scarf around his neck, another one of the good things about the right type of winter weather. Tonto, hanging on Louie’s bright blue scarf, called over to the other ferret, "It is good to see you again, Murph – it’s been too long. How ya been doin’? You keeping busy?"

 

Murphy smiled and replied, "Oh, busy as usual. For a while there I was helping Tinker’s Brigade getting set up on their new project. Not all the crippled furfolks back home are fortunate enough to get wheelchairs like Tinker’s, and when they come here to the Bridge, many of them aren’t sure what to do with their new mobility. Tinker’s Brigade believes that there should be a special orientation committee for these new arrivals, and they figure they’re the logical group for the task. Part of their work will be physical therapy – help to teach these new folks how to walk again – and part will just be emotional support. I think it’s a great idea, and I helped them organize it all. Good folks, all of them.’

 

Ollie said, "That’s the truth and no mistake!"

 

Murphy smiled and said, "That’s why I was happy to help them. Besides that, just doing the usual self – meeting new furfolks, playing weaselball, enjoying existence."

 

Tonto asked, "Have you been very busy with these new orphans?"

 

"Not as much as normally, no. Lucy has been doing most of the caregiving for these kids. It makes sense, really, considering that the ferret kits are actually hers."

 

Tonto nodded. "I’d heard something about that. Her kids came over to the Bridge as newborns, and she followed not long after, right?"

 

Murphy replied, "Yes, that’s so. She apparently came down with a nasty virus not long before she gave birth to these guys. Four of them were stillborn, and the other four didn’t live longer than a day. She was terribly weak from birthing and sick from the virus, and I’m sure that she was grieving something awful, as well. It was all too much for her; she came over two days after they did."

 

He sighed and continued, "We’d set up a nursery for the kits and had just gotten the routine down when she came along. It did her so much good to see her babies again that we wouldn’t have done anything less than let her take over.

 

"It was only a week later that the five kittens came over the Bridge. From what we can figure out, some human put them in a sack and took them to the nearest river and – well, you know how it goes. It’s a sad case, but all too common.

 

"It was Lucy’s idea to raise both litters together. We thought she might have enough to do with her own kids, but she said, and I quote her exactly, ‘What are five more?’ And it’s turned out just great. They’re a tight little group and they love one another quite a bit. Lucy’s a good furparent."

 

Tonto smiled and said, "I’m glad to hear that. The Kemosabe and I will have to visit them some time. Have they met the Inter-Species Committee yet?"

 

Before Murphy could answer, Louie spoke up. "I can see a tree up ahead, and it looks different than the others. Think that’s what we’re looking for?"

 

Everyone looked at the tree. It was a Scotch pine, fully ten feet tall and full and beautiful. There was something else about it as well, something that couldn’t be described easily in words. It was as if the tree had a presence, a spirit that said "Hi! My name is Such-and-such and I’ll be your Christmas tree for this season."

 

Murphy nodded. "That’s it. I figured that we’d know it when we saw it."

 

The two ferrets climbed down from Ollie and Louie, and the four animals just stood and admired the tree. It was a beauty.

 

Finally Ollie broke the silence by saying, "Uh, Murphy. I’ve been wondering about something – how are we going to cut it down?"

 

It was a very good question. Murphy had picked out ropes and harnesses for the dogs to pull the tree with. But no axes or saws.

 

Murphy smiled and replied, "Well, old friend, I didn’t think anybody in our little group had the strength or the agility to cut down a tree, especially a big one, so I didn’t worry about it. I figured that if we were going to be led here to the right tree, we’d also have some sort of help in cutting it down. Or at least someone would show us a way to do it." The sable ferret walked over to the base of the tree. "Tonto, could you join me here? I want to look at the trunk a little closer, and I’d like somebody to bounce ideas off of." He ducked down below the lower branches and crawled to the trunk as the other ferret followed him.

 

The two ferrets knelt down at the base of the tree and studied the trunk. Tonto said, "It’s a nice tree. Looks good from a distance and close up. The trunk looks nice and straight."

 

Murphy nodded. "Uh-huh. Looks nice and solid. I like how smooth the bark is, too." He reached forward and tapped the trunk of the tree.

 

Immediately there was a load groan from beneath their feet. And the tree started tipping over.

 

Things happened fast after that. The two ferrets shot out from under the tree as fast as their legs could take them, shouting "TIMBER!!!" and "GANGWAY!!", plus at least one "YIPES!!!" The two dogs, who had had a better overall view of what was happening, had wasted no time in hanging around themselves.

 

Slowly, majestically, the tree toppled over and crashed to the ground.

 

The four animals, who had covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time, looked back at the fallen tree, as the air around them was very loudly silent.

 

Finally Murphy said, "See? I told you we’d have help!"

 

Ollie grumbled, "Yes, you did, and it’s nice and all that. But I really wish that somebody would warn us next time!"

 

Murphy replied, "Hey, it’d be pretty dull around here if we always knew what was going to happen, wouldn’t it?" He smiled but nobody else seemed to see it quite the way he did. Murphy walked over to the tree and said, "Looks like it was a clean break, too."

 

Tonto came forward and said, "It’s too clean for a break. It looks like it was cut just below the ground line." He looked at the other ferret. "Rather convenient, I must say."

 

Murphy smiled and nodded. He then turned to the two dogs and asked, "Well, now all we have to do is drag it back to the meadow. Think you two big dudes are up to that?"

 

Both dogs puffed their chests up, as proud as they could be. Ollie said, "Of course we are. We’re the best dogs for the job and you know it!"

 

Murphy reached up and patted his friend on the shoulder. "I’ve never doubted you, Ol’.

 

"Okay, let’s get those ropes around the tree and get you two settled in your harnesses. It’s a straight run back and we’ll be there in no time!"

 

As they tied the ropes around the tree trunk, Tonto asked, "Our job’s gonna be done pretty soon, Murph, but what about John and the others? It did seem pretty far to those mountains, and their task is harder than ours. Are you sure they won’t have any trouble?"

 

The other ferret answered, "Well, they’re an able bunch, and like I said, it should be easier than it looks. We’ll just have to have faith, won’t we?"

 

Part III. Up there

 

After his first adventure with the ferrets named John Reid and Tonto, Silver had been fitted with a special harness with ferret-sized rope ladders (Mounting the horse by hanging on to his tail and being flung on to his back got old rather quickly.) and a row of six ferret-sized seats. John sat on the lead seat now, with Sammy right behind. Weezie, who was sitting right behind Sammy, thought that Silver’s harness was very comfortable as far as it went, but it could do with an improvement or two. Specifically, as the horse galloped across the fields, she would have liked the security of a seat belt.

 

Weezie had come a long way from the time she had clung to Louie the Afghan’s back while they delivered Cookie’s formula to some orphans. She had thought that first ride was scary enough. Now, on the back of an animal that was much taller and traveling much faster than any dog… As Silver leaped over a small colony of Albanian wire-haired gerbils, Weezie gripped her saddle so hard her paws hurt. She’d have to speak to somebody about those seat belts.

 

Still, they made remarkably good time, and she was seeing parts of the country under the Rainbow Bridge that she’d never seen before. They passed several animals, who stopped to wave at the odd little party that went sailing by. Weezie actually relaxed enough to wave back.

 

In no time at all they reached the foothills, however, and Weezie saw that the ride across the plain had been the easy part. She had to lean way back to stare up at the mountain. Were they really going to try and climb that? It was so high, and the face was steep and craggy. Could Silver, as wonderful a horse as he was, be able to do it?

 

John and Sammy studied the steep sides of the mountain; they were obviously figuring out the best route to take. Maybe they had the same doubts that she had. Then Sammy pointed and said, "Look there, John – doesn’t that look like a path to you?"

 

The other ferret nodded and replied, "I believe you’re right. That is a path." He looked further up the mountain. "Apparently there are some critters that climb up there regularly. It would be interesting to find out why."

 

John Reid – now known to many, because of his mask, his great heart and his choice in traveling companions, as the Lone Ranger – looked over his shoulder at Sammy and Weezie and said gravely, "This is it, friends. It looks like we have a difficult journey ahead of us, especially with the time constraint. But we have folks counting on us. Are you two ready for this?"

 

Sammy replied, "I’m ready, John."

 

Weezie said nothing, only nodded. She thought that maybe she shouldn’t have come along. They didn’t really need her, did they? How many ferrets does it take to unscrew a star? She could have stayed behind and helped Lucy with her little ones; that would have been more useful all around. But she had come along, and it was too late to change her mind. And people were counting on them.

 

John turned around and leaned forward to ask, "Silver, my good friend, it’s up to you – can you climb the mountain?"

 

The horse looked at the steep path in front of him and said, "I’ll try my best, John."

 

"Then let’s go, big fellow! Everyone hang on!" And they started up the mountain.

 

 

Later, Sammy said, "You know, we’re making very good time here, don’t you think?"

 

John replied, "Yes, we are. I’d have thought that it would be slow going. But Silver’s setting the pace, and he seems comfortable with it. You doing okay up there, friend?"

 

"I’m fine, John", said the horse. "I just… know where to put my feet. This speed just seems right somehow. Everybody doing okay back there?"

 

"Just great!" said John. Sammy said, "same for me." Weezie just made a noise.

 

Weezie gripped her saddle even harder than before, thinking that Lucy really needed help with those kids, she was sure of it. She’d been terrified when they first started up the steep path. But you can only pay attention to the terror for so long before you get used to it; after that you start noticing the irritation and confusion.

 

What seemed to irritate her most was that she didn’t have much choice as to which direction she could look. She couldn’t look at the mountain face that they were climbing (all too swiftly, in her opinion); it was too much like a wall. And trying to look up ahead involved, among other things, leaning back, so that was out.

 

Looking out to the side gave a panoramic view of the countryside around the Rainbow Bridge – but it was just another way of looking down, which served to remind her where she was. And looking back to see how far they’d come – she’d experimented with trying to think about doing that, but her mind didn’t seriously accept it.

 

She spent most of the time with her eyes closed. When this let her imagination work too long, she would stare straight ahead for awhile. At least Sammy’s back was nice and familiar. If only it didn’t move around so much.

 

When she thought about it logically, she figured that a fall probably wouldn’t hurt them. They had gone beyond things like pain and severe injuries when they had left their old lives behind. But logic didn’t have much clout in a situation like this. It was a long way down, and if nothing else, the jostling around while falling wouldn’t be any fun at all.

 

At least the air wasn’t getting thinner, or colder. Nor was there any wind. Whoever had created this place had been quite thoughtful about that. Now if they’d only put the stars a little closer to the ground…

 

Suddenly John said, "Did you hear something?"

 

Sammy listened for a moment and said, "H’mm. I thought I had for a moment there, but now I’m not sure. Probably nothing."

 

Silver stopped for a moment and looked up. "We’re most of the way to the top, guys. There’s a ridge a little way ahead, and I can see the peak beyond that. Just a few more steps and – Oh! Oh – hello there! You startled me!"

 

"I’m terribly sorry! No harm done, I hope? Hello, all! Pleased to meet you!" Smiling down on them from above was a billy goat.

 

Silver made his way over the ridge, and he and his friends were surprised to find themselves in a cozy little meadow nestled just below the mountain peak. And there were folks living there! Goats, sheep, dogs of several breeds and a few other animals came forward to look at the visitors.

 

The goat said, "My name is Preston. Welcome to High Valley!"

 

Silver said, "High Valley? – John, we’ve heard of this place, haven’t we?"

 

The ferret nodded and replied, "Yes, of course, the other Elders have talked about High Valley! Mr. Preston, we’re happy to meet you and your friends! My name is John Reid – call me John – and this is Silver; we’re both Elders under the Bridge. And these fine folks with us are Sammy and Weezie."

 

Weezie waved happily at these new folks; the ridge extended around the edge of the valley and blocked off the view, which suited her just fine. Sammy waved as well, and said, "Pleased to meet you folks", and leaned forward and asked, "John, what is this place? I’ve never heard of it."

 

John replied, "Not many furfolks in the Lowlands have. Some animals lived in mountainous regions back on Earth, and when they come to the Bridge, they want to stay in a place that reminds them of home. So, this place, up in the mountains, was created just for them. It’s beautiful now in Winter, with the snow on the ground and all, but I’ve heard that in the Spring, with the grass and flowers growing, and that little stream over there thawed out – it’s gorgeous!

 

"But the inhabitants pretty much keep to themselves up here; they don’t get down in the Lowlands very much. That’s why few folks hear of this place."

 

Preston nodded. "It’s a long ways down, and we don’t want for much up here. We’re happy living here. This place is peaceful and so much like what we’re used to. But it’s always good to have visitors! To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?"

 

John replied, "Well, actually we’re just passing through. We’re going to climb further up the mountain to try and get a Christmas tree decoration."

 

"Oh, yes, it is getting close to the holidays, isn’t it? We always decorate that tree over there – hey, wait a minute! Did I hear you right? You’re looking for Christmas ornaments on top of a mountain?"

 

John smiled and nodded. "Well, you have to realize that it’s not just any ornament we’re after. We want something special for a tree-topper."

 

The goat raised his eyebrows and gave the visitors one of those Does-this-run-in-your-family? looks. Then he said, "I… see. Well, I’ve only seen rocks up there – and a few bits of lichen, now that I think of it – and none of that seems appropriate to hang on a tree, but, hey, that’s just me. I guess it’s the thought that counts."

 

Sammy spoke up. "No, no, you don’t understand! We want something shiny to put on top of our tree, but we’ll have to climb to the top of the mountain to reach it! We’re gonna bring a star back!"

 

Preston said, "A star – You mean one of those stars? Up there in the sky? You going to put that on your tree?"

 

John nodded. "Yes. There are some youngsters down below that we’re doing this for. It’s their first Christmas and we want the tree to be special. A friend of mine, Murphy – a sable ferret – You know him? Why am I not surprised? – figured that a star would make an excellent tree-topper. We’re up here to get one."

 

"You’re actually going to pluck a star from the sky just to put on a Christmas tree? Of all the hare-brained ideas – "

 

"Hey, watch the insults!"

 

"Sorry, Hoppy – Of all the crackpot ideas that I’ve ever heard, that one" – and then the goat got a thoughtful look on his face, and went on a bit more softly – "that one – do you know, that sounds like an excellent idea! Leave it to Murphy to come up with something like that!" He looked up at the sky. "They are lovely, aren’t they?"

 

Weezie looked up now, for the first time since they’d entered High Valley, and was startled to actually see stars directly overhead. They looked very close, too. Murphy was right; things were different here at the Bridge.

 

Preston went on. "We’ve got a nice collection of Christmas ornaments for our tree, and we do have a decent topper. But a real star? We’re going to have to think about that. It might be something to look into!"

 

The goat smiled. "Well, it sounds like you’ve got an important job to do, and no time to lose! Is there anything that we can do to help?"

 

Silver replied, "What we need – what I need – is information on the best way to get to the peak. Is there a path I can follow?"

 

Preston thought about this and said, "Well, not much of one, I’m afraid. Nobody’s got much reason to go up higher than this." He pointed to one section of the mountain slope. "This here is the shallowest part of the face – relatively speaking – and it’s craggy enough that there’s plenty of footholds. So I’d say it’s your best bet. It’ll be slow going, though."

 

Silver looked over the mountain face and nodded. "I believe that I can handle it. I’d better get started then. Everybody comfortable back there? Okay, let’s go!"

 

As the horse, with his three riders, began to pick his way up the slope, Preston said, "Be careful, folks."

 

 

Weezie kept her eyes tightly shut for that final leg of their climb. She didn’t want to look above or below or to the side at all; she didn’t even want to look at Sammy’s back. She could feel every careful step that Silver took. There were several times that she was certain that he leaned over too far and that they were starting to fall. But they never did, and he moved on.

 

It took them only a short time to reach the top. The horse stopped and said, "Well, this is it. We’re at the summit. Did anyone think to bring a flag?"

 

Weezie knew that she couldn’t keep her eyes closed all the time that they were up there, and she finally managed to work up the courage to open them – just a little peek. It took a lot of courage for her to keep them open.

 

There wasn’t much room on the mountaintop for one horse to stand. There was barely enough room for him to turn around, which Weezie was thankful for – the prospect of backing down the way they’d come was too much. And all around the peak, the mountain dropped away and there was nothing until you saw the ground far below.

 

Weezie couldn’t take that. So she looked up. And saw the stars. And she forgot to be afraid.

 

She would have thought, since the stars were easily visible from down below, that they would be too bright to look at up close. But they weren’t; the stars were like balls of all colors hanging from a dark ceiling, and the light they glowed with was soft and soothing. It was one of the most beautiful sights that she’d ever seen.

 

The two other ferrets were looking at them, too. Sammy said, "Well, now the question is – can we reach them?"

 

John answered, "I certainly hope so. Silver, I’m going to climb up on your head and see if I’m tall enough. Just stand still and lift your head up a bit more – like that." The ferret perched on the horse’s head and stretched to stand as tall as he could. "Darn – not enough! Sammy, could you get up on my shoulders?"

 

The other ferret managed to climb up and balance himself on John’s shoulders. Sammy carefully stood up and reached up with his paws. He finally said, "Almost, but not quite. Just an inch or two more…" He looked down at the littlest traveler, and said, "Weezie – normally I wouldn’t ask you to take such a big risk, but this is important…"

 

"I know, Unca Sammy", she replied. She stood up on the horse’s back and walked forward. She was surprised to discover that she wasn’t trembling.

 

It was a difficult climb; if Weezie weren’t careful, they’d all lose their balance and fall. But she was soon level with John’s shoulders, and after that she quickly reached Sammy’s head. She carefully put her weight on her friend’s head and brought her rear legs up and placed them on his shoulders. Then she slowly straightened up.

 

And there was a star directly in front of her.

 

It was like a more-or-less transparent ball, just the right size for her to hold in her two little paws. There was a soft blue light in the center; she couldn’t make out exactly what the source of the light was, but it didn’t really matter.

 

Weezie reached out and grasped the star. She wasn’t sure what held it in place in the dark sky – a string wouldn’t have surprised her in the least – but it came away with no resistance, like it was sitting on a table that wasn’t there. The surface of the star was very soft, as soft as the breath of the wind on your face. The star gave off a soothing, comfortable warmth.

 

She was at the top of an unstable ferret balancing act, standing on the head of a horse, on the peak of a steep mountain, and it didn’t bother her. She knew that they wouldn’t be hurt up here. She was at peace.

 

She said, "Okay, guys, I got it. I’m climbing back down now."

 

Holding the star in one paw, Weezie easily made her way back down Sammy and John’s backs, and soon she was standing on the horse’s back again. She reached over and put the precious star in a carrying pouch hanging from Silver’s harness. Then she stood up, happy and unafraid. It was a beautiful star, and it would look great at the top of their Christmas tree.

 

Their Christmas tree…

 

She turned around and said, "Hey, guys! We can’t leave yet! We need to get another star!"

 

Three voices shouted, "WHAT???", and three heads turned around to stare at her. Finally Sammy asked, "Weezie, what are you thinking? We’ve got the star we came for! Why do we need another one?"

 

"We don’t need one, but the folks in High Valley do. I want to give them one to decorate their own Christmas tree."

 

The others thought about this, and then they slowly smiled. Sammy said, "Weez, that sounds like a splendid idea!" And they climbed on one another’s shoulders again, to grab another star.

 

This time Weezie picked a yellow one out.

 

 

Preston held the yellow star and gazed into its depths. He whispered, "It’s … beautiful. Murphy is right; these are perfect tree-toppers." The goat smiled up at the four adventurers and continued. "I suppose we would have tried going up for one ourselves someday, if it occurred to us, but you’ve saved us the trouble. This was a marvelous thing to do for us. I don’t know how we can ever repay you."

 

John leaned down from his seat on Silver’s back and replied, "No need to repay us. I’m sure that you folks will do a good deed for us someday. And if not for us, for someone else. That’s the only kind of payment that’s worth anything under the Rainbow Bridge. Besides – think of this as an early Christmas present."

 

Preston seemed to have trouble with something in his eye. He said, "Thank you. From all of us." And around him, his neighbors all shouted, "Thank you!"

 

John smiled and replied, "You’re quite welcome. And now it’s time for us to go. We’ve still got much to do! Come, big fellow, let’s ride!"

 

As they headed for the ridge around the valley, Preston shouted, "Come back and visit us again! And tell Murphy hello for us!"

 

"We will! And come down to the Lowlands and see us!" As the horse reached the pathway down the mountain, the ferret known as the Lone Ranger called out, "Hi-Yo, Silver, Awayy!!" And behind them, the residents of High Valley cheered.

 

 

The trip down the mountain was shorter than the climb up; Silver mainly let gravity (or whatever it was under the Bridge) do the work, and he adjusted his course. He had no problems, but it looked risky.

 

Weezie wasn’t frightened by the plummet down the mountainside; things had changed for her. She held on as best she could, but she was able to look around – down the slope, to the sides, even back the way they’d come – and it didn’t bother her a bit. In fact, she enjoyed it tremendously. The plunge down the slope was actually kind of fun, like a roller coaster, and she had a grand view of the snowy country all around. She could see for a long distance, and she wondered if she could have picked out familiar landmarks with a decent pair of binoculars. Kodo’s Hill, maybe – Cookie’s kitchen. Maybe even the spot where Lucy and her charges waited for them. Some other time.

 

When they reached the base of the mountain, she was actually a bit disappointed that it was over.

 

Silver pranced around a bit to get his "ground legs" back, and John said, "Well, friends, that turned out very well! Wouldn’t you agree?"

 

Sammy replied, "Oh, absolutely!" And Weezie said, "Yes it did, Unca John. Now it’s time to head for Cookie’s!"

 

"Yes, for the rest of the tree decorations. Off we go, then!" And the horse galloped away.

 

Part IV. We Gather Together…

 

Ollie and Louie had no trouble pulling the fallen tree along; the layer of snow on the ground smoothed the way. They made good time going back, as Murphy had said they would.

 

As Murphy and his friends emerged from the woods, they could see that the furkids had done their part and done it remarkably well. There in the meadow was an almost perfect circle cleared of snow. The kittens and kits were playing nearby on a frozen patch of ice that hadn’t been there before; there was a lot of slipping, sliding, attempts at skating and an all-around whole lot of fun going on. Murphy called out, "Hey, hey, looks like somebody’s been busy!"

 

Lucy and the furkids all stopped what they were doing and ran to Murphy and his friends – or at least they tried to; ice can do a lot to hamper forward motion. But soon they were all gathered around the tree. The furkids were beside themselves and asked all sorts of questions. "Ooh, it’s a pretty one!" "How did you find it?" "It’s so big!" "Did you guys have trouble getting it down?" "What’s it gonna look like all decorated?"

 

Murphy picked up the littlest of the little ones and held her in his arms as he answered. "No, we had no trouble finding it, or getting it down. I think it was supposed to be easy, and it was. In a way, I think it found us. I’ll tell you this, though – I’m very impressed by the good job you kids have done. How did you lay out such a good circle as that?"

 

A kitten replied, "It was Auntie Lucy’s idea! She had us walk around her!"

 

Lucy said, "What I did was stand still, and I had the little ones stand side-by-side in a straight line from where I stood. Then they held hands and walked around in a circle, with me in the center. I had them mark out a larger circle by standing in a straight line again, just outside of the first circle, and walk around the edge. And there you go!

 

"After marking the area, they all started clearing the snow away. We found some boxes and little shovels nearby – I’m not sure who left them there – and the children started scooping out the snow." She smiled at the little ones and went on. "At least some of the snow was scooped out. Somebody I know figured out that throwing snowballs was a good way of moving it, too." There’s nothing quite as innocent as the look on a furkid’s face – they practice it a lot in their spare time.

 

Murphy grinned and said, "Well, I could have told you that!" Lucy rolled her eyes and shook her head as he went on. "It looks like you kids did well. I’m proud of you all! This looks like an excellent spot for a Christmas tree!"

 

The little one in Murphy’s arms piped up, "We’re calling this place Zero Ground!"

 

Lucy chuckled and said, "Actually, it’s Ground Zero."

 

Murphy thought about that. Christmas at Ground Zero? Why not? It appealed to him in a peculiar way. He said, "I’m surprised to see your skating rink! Where did that come from?"

 

Lucy answered him. "That spot was our first choice, but it didn’t take long to find the ice underneath the snow. I think it must be a pond frozen over. We tried again over here and had better luck. After the children had cleared away Ground Zero, they went ahead and cleared the snow off the ice to make a skating rink. I swear, Murphy, I have no idea where they find all their energy!"

 

Murphy grinned and replied, "They take it out of the air, I guess. Well, it’s a nice little skating rink, and I think it’ll come in handy later. Okay, folks, first order of business is to get the tree ready to set up. Ollie, Louie, could you drag it into position?"

 

"Sure thing, Murph!" The two dogs pulled the tree forward and through the cleared-off patch of ground. They stopped when the lower end of the tree was just beyond the center.

 

As he and Tonto removed the ropes from the tree, Murphy continued, "Right. We’ll need a hole to set the tree in. Will you two guys dig for us?"

 

Murphy and Ollie, for all that the ground was supposedly frozen, had no trouble digging. Soon there was a hole deep enough for the tree. Murphy looked it over and said, "That’ll do just fine. Now we need to set the tree in the ground – but I think we’ll need more help for that. We’ll have to wait for the others to come back."

 

Tonto called out, "And here they come now!" Everyone turned and saw a horse approaching, with three ferrets on his back and a sledge piled with boxes behind him.

 

When Silver and his valuable cargo arrived, Murphy said to John, "Well, I have to say, this is perfect timing!"

 

The other ferret smiled and said, "So it is. You said something earlier, Murphy, about space being flexible here. I’ve seen enough on our little adventure to make me think you’re right. I’m also thinking that time is flexible here, too. All that we did – climbing the mountain, getting this stuff at Cookie’s, running around – we did it in part of one afternoon!"

 

Murphy nodded and replied, "Well, this is a very special place. We’ve gotten a lot of help doing this. Of course, there’s still a lot that’s been left for us to do! Which means that we need to set the tree up. Silver, I think that will be up to you. Do you think you can do it?"

 

The horse replied, "After I’ve just managed to climb a mountain? A tree will be a piece of cake!"

 

It took a bit of planning, of course. A rope was tied to Silver’s harness and to the top of the tree; he would use that to pull the tree up. Ollie and Louie’s harnesses were tied to the tree as well, and they would stand on either side to keep the tree steady as it rose. As Silver pulled, the adult ferrets carefully guided the tree trunk into the hole.

 

In no time at all the tree was upright, and, while Silver and the two dogs kept the ropes taut, the hole around the trunk was packed with the displaced dirt. When Murphy gave the word, the three animals let the ropes go loose. And the tree stayed up.

 

As they looked over the upright tree, John said, "Looks fine. Murphy, do you think it’s solid enough in the ground? It won’t tip over, will it?"

 

Murphy smiled and replied, "I’m sure it won’t. I don’t believe that it’s gonna be allowed to tip over, if you get my meaning.

 

"Okay, now comes the fun part, kids – decorating! Let’s get at those boxes!"

 

As everyone crowded around the sledge, Murphy sniffed the air and said, "That’s quite a nice aroma you guys brought with you! Is that popcorn I smell?"

 

Weezie pulled open a large box and replied, "You’re right – it’s popcorn. We’ve got a whole string to hang on the tree! Cookie had just finished popping it when we arrived, so it’s still fresh!"

 

"Fine! That’ll be the first thing to go up!" As they were pulling the strings of popcorn out of the box, he stopped and said, "Hey, wait a minute! If he’d just finished popping this stuff when you guys got there, when did he have time to string it?"

 

Weezie grinned and said, "Oh, this is the special popcorn that Cookie developed – the type with the kernels already on a string. Put some of this in the oven, and Presto! You’ve got popcorn strings all ready to hang on the tree!"

 

Murphy nodded. "Ah, yes, the pre-strung popcorn. That’s one of the things I like about the Bridge – you can find stuff here that you can’t get anywhere else!" Then he looked at all the popcorn strings and looked over at the tree. He frowned and said, "Weezie, I think he made too much of this stuff! There’s twice as much here as we need for the tree! What are we going to do with it all?"

 

Weezie grinned, but said nothing. She just pointed down. Murphy looked down and saw a kitten sitting on the ground at his feet. The little one looked up at him with that innocent look again – and with part of the popcorn string in her mouth.

 

The kitten took the string out of her mouth – it was a spot where there used to be a piece of popcorn – and said, "I was just flossing my teeth, Unca Murphy! Yeah, my teeth! And besides, somebody’s gotta check to see if the popcorn’s good!"

 

Weezie laughed and said, "Cookie knew exactly what he was doing when he popped such a big batch of this stuff! He told me that he understands Christmas trees and popcorn strings and little kids."

 

Murphy looked around; there were already other bare spots on the string. He chuckled and said, "Once again, Cookie proves that he’s wonderfully wise. Well, we better get this on the tree before it disappears altogether.

 

"Okay, kids, this is where we need your help again. I figure that you’ll climb up in the tree, and we’ll hand the popcorn string up to you kids to hang. Do you think you’ll have any trouble climbing?"

 

Somewhere above him a little voice replied, "I don’t think so, Unca Murphy." He looked up at the tree; a fuzzy little head was peeking out from a point most of the way to the top.

 

Murphy said, "Oh – right. Okay, let’s lay this string out and you kids go on. What’s that I hear, more chewing? Will whoever-it-is please leave off on the popcorn until we get it up – Sammy!"

 

Sammy took the string out of his mouth. He didn’t have the innocent look down as well as the furkids. He swallowed and said, "Well, gee, Murph, it is good popcorn!"

 

 

The furkids were natural-born climbers, and they soon had the popcorn strings hanging on the tree quite nicely, from the bottom to the top. Then came the other decorations; the kids hung those up, too. The adults on the ground gave occasional advice – "You’ve got two red ornaments next to one another." "There’s a bare spot right here!" – but for the most part, the kids decorated the tree quite well on their own.

 

There were so many different ornaments that went on the Christmas tree. Miniature nutcrackers that the kids thought looked silly. Little snowmen. Shiny round ornaments that the little ones liked to look into and see their goofy reflections. Glittery garlands. Angels; elves; candy canes (Cookie had supplied plenty of those too.); all sorts of different Santas; snowflakes big and small. And so many ornaments shaped like animals – puppies, kittens, ferrets in red stocking caps, birds, horses, mice, hamsters, even reptiles of all sorts. And so much more. They all went on the tree.

 

While the furkids decorated the tree, the others taught them Christmas carols. Murphy started to teach them something called, "The Night Santa Went Crazy", until Lucy stopped him. But they taught the children "Deck The Halls", "Joy To The World" (a favorite of Sammy’s), "Up On The Housetop" and "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer". At least Lucy made no objection to "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" (though the kids, being carnivores, didn’t see the point in that one).

 

Soon all the ornaments were on the tree – except one. Ollie and Louie held a length of cloth between them to make a sling, and Weezie put the blue star in it. The two dogs stepped apart, and then snapped the cloth taut, flinging the star upward.

 

The star sailed up to the top of the tree, where Sammy and Tonto waited. The two ferrets caught the star easily between them and positioned it on the tree.

 

Sammy said, "How are we going to attach it here? It’s not like there’s a string on it or anything."

 

The other ferret replied, "I don’t think that’ll be a problem. It will stay here because it’s supposed to. That’s the way things have worked for us all along." And he was right; they took their hands away and it stayed.

 

Everyone stood back and admired the tree. The furkids were so happy with it that they didn’t make any noise at all; they just sat and gazed at their first Christmas tree.

 

Lucy said, "It’s marvelous. I’ve never seen such a beautiful tree!"

 

But Murphy frowned and replied, "Yeah, it’s lovely, but it’s – well, it’s incomplete. There’s something missing, but I don’t really know what we can do about it." He looked at his friends and went on, "There aren’t any lights. A proper Christmas tree needs lights."

 

Tonto said, "Oh, yes, I loved the Christmas tree lights. Daddy put a whole lot of them up, all flashing colors. I used to try and stash them in my hidey-hole, but I never was able to get any down."

 

John Reid spoke up. "I know what you mean; they were always attached to Mommy’s tree too well. But I thought about it, and I figured out that they were plugged into the wall! So I guessed that it would help a lot to get them down if I pulled that plug out first. I finally managed to get that done." He sighed and went on. "Trouble was they weren’t lit any more."

 

Murphy said, "Yeah. But there’s nothing more we can do for this tree. We don’t have a string of lights, and there’s not an outlet around to plug one in."

 

Sammy said, "I wouldn’t worry about it, Murph. The tree looks all right as it is. And the star on top makes up for a lot." He was right. The star bathed the tree and the ground around it in a soft blue light.

 

Murphy nodded and replied, "Yeah, that’s true. But still…" He looked around and said, "My goodness, it’s late. It’s taken all afternoon to set the tree up, and now it’s getting dark."

 

He looked at the others and smiled. "It’s a special time right now. Do you folks know what day this is?"

 

Ollie said, "Well, it’s Monday, of course – hey, that’s right! Tonight’s the night for the Candle Ceremony!"

 

Murphy smiled. "Yes, it is, buddy. And that’s where the kids’ skating rink is going to come in handy! Come on, everyone! Let’s gather around and watch!"

 

As all the animals arranged themselves around the frozen pond, a little ferret kit asked Lucy, "What’s the Candle Ceremony, Mommy? Is it something special?"

 

Lucy answered. "Yes, it is, little one, something very special. Every week at this time, our humans that we love so much, the ones that we had to leave behind when we came to the Rainbow Bridge, gather together and light candles in our memory. It’s a way for them to show us that they still love us, even though we’ve gone, and that they miss us so much."

 

Everyone looked into the frozen surface of the pond, and images began to form. Soon the icy surface was covered by a montage of scenes from back on Earth. All of the images were of humans, in groups or by themselves. And the animals knew who the humans were.

 

One scene was of a living room. A heavyset man stood in front of a fireplace, while four beautiful Rottweilers were laying on the floor around him. Ollie said, "There’s my Daddy! And my brothers and sisters!" The man lit a candle on his fireplace mantel and simply said, "For Ollie. We miss ya, bud".

 

Ollie said, “My Dad has never been one to say much, especially about his feelings. Except with us.” He watched as his human bent down to scratch the ear of one of the dogs.

 

Another scene was of a desert landscape – somewhere in Arizona, as it turned out -  and there was a group of humans, bundled up against the cold desert night, each astride a magnificent horse. Silver said, "See that group of humans – the ones on horseback? That woman on the Palomino – she’s my Mom!" And his Mom lit a candle and held it up, as did all the others with her.

 

In another living room, brightly decorated for Christmas, a young lady was holding a ferret in her arms. She’d just placed a small red Santa cap on the ferret’s head and was solemnly adjusting it to look right. Weezie whispered, "Mommy? There’s my Mommy! And there’s my big brother Joshua with her! Oh, those are pretty candles you’ve got – are those for me? I love you, too, Mommy! Please don’t cry…"

 

Sammy knelt down by one of the ferret kits and pointed to another scene. “See that lady there, Jake? That’s my Mommy. She’s in a place called a synagogue. That’s where she worships every Friday.“

 

Jake said, “It’s a pretty place.”

 

“Yes, it is. Mommy would take me in there once in awhile. And see that man standing next to her, all dressed up in the robe and the cap? That’s her rabbi. He’s a nice man. He liked me a lot. When I – when I was too sick there at the last, Mommy brought me in to the synagogue and the rabbi blessed me for my final journey.” As Jake and Sammy watched, Sammy’s Mommy lit a single candle at the altar for her beloved little ferret. Sammy smiled.

 

Others, like John Reid and Louie, didn’t say anything. They just watched as their humans lit candles of their own.

 

Lucy said, "See that group of people, children, on the hilltop?” She pointed to one image showing a hilltop near large city. It was a warm day, and many of the people were dressed in shorts and t-shirts; others were formally dressed. Some people carried all sorts of animals in their arms, and all had candles. Some were already lit, and candle flames dotted the ground. “They’re holding a special candle ceremony for their pets that have crossed to the Rainbow Bridge. That one lady that’s stepping forward – she’s my Mommy. That makes her your Grandmother. She loved you kids so very much, and she was so unhappy that you couldn’t stay with us for long." The ferret sighed and went on softly, "She was so sad when she had to let me go, too. That night when I – that last night, she just held me in her arms and rocked me in her rocking chair. And she – she sang to me and cried for me and – she said good-bye and –" Lucy couldn’t say any more.

 

In the image in the frozen pond, Lucy’s Mommy knelt down and placed a candle on the ground. As she lit it, she said, "I light this candle to honor the memory of a little furry soul that gave me joy and touched my heart, and who now waits for me at the Rainbow Bridge. Lucy, I miss you so much, but I know that you’re no longer in pain and I hope that wherever you are, you’re happy and whole again. With this candle, I send you love and healing."

 

The lady then set out eight smaller votive candles, and lit them. "These candles are for Lucy’s litter – the little ones that never got a chance for happiness in this world. I never got to know you here, but I love you all."

 

A little kit whispered, "We love you, too, Grandma."

 

And still, Lucy’s Mommy wasn’t done. As everyone watched, she set out more votive candles. As she lit them, she said, her voice shaking, "And these candles are to honor the orphans under the Rainbow Bridge. The little ones who were abused, neglected, abandoned – who were never loved by a human in this world. Their souls are special, too, like all of our little friends that have left us. Someone should love them, too. I send them my love."

 

A kitten said, his voice filled with wonder, "Hey, guys – she lit those candles for us."

 

Lucy smiled at him and said, "That’s the kind of human my Mommy is."

 

The kitten said to her, "Aunt Lucy, your Mommy’s a nice lady. I hope that I’ll be adopted by someone as good as her. Do you think your Mommy would adopt us when she comes here?"

 

The ferret replied, "Oh, I’m sure she would. She cares so much for the unwanted animals in the world, and she loves to play with kittens. But she won’t need to adopt you."

 

Lucy nuzzled the little kitten and went on, "You see, I’ve been so happy to care for you and your brothers and sisters alongside my own babies. I love you all – you know that. So what I’ve done is ask the Council if I could adopt you kittens myself. And they said yes.

 

"That’s my early Christmas present to you and your brothers and sisters – I’m going to be your Mommy. Do you think you’d like that?"

 

The little kitten looked up at Lucy with his wide eyes and said nothing for what seemed like the longest time. Then he asked, "Would your Mommy be our Grandma then? When she comes here, will she take us with you over the Bridge?"

 

Lucy nodded.

 

He put his arms around her and whispered, "Please be our Mommy."

 

The other kittens shouted "We want you to be our Mommy!" and came forward to hug the ferret that loved them so much. And the ferret kits yipped with joy and swarmed over their new brothers and sisters. Lucy gathered all her children around her, and they held each other close. The other animals watched and smiled, and nobody said a word.

 

Until one furkid looked around and noticed something, and called out, "Hey, everybody – our tree! Look at the tree!"

 

All the animals turned from the frozen pond to look at the tree, and their eyes filled with wonder. For behold, lights were appearing on the tree.

 

The lights flickered like candle flames, but there were no candles there. Nothing on the tree was burning, either. The lights were just there. And as the animals watched, more lights appeared.

 

It should come as no surprise that Murphy figured it out first. He turned back to study the images in the frozen pond, and looked at the tree again. He watched as one human on a horse in Arizona lit a candle back on Earth and turned in time to see another flame appear on the tree. As the candle flame back on Earth wavered in the wind, the flame on the tree wavered exactly the same way, with no wind to help. He then said, "Of course – it’s the candles! Every time one of our Mommies and Daddies lights a candle for us, another light appears on the tree! Our humans back home are lighting our tree for us!"

 

And all the animals shouted with joy. Their Christmas tree was complete.

 

 

Soon, the Candle Ceremony, in all its forms, was over back on Earth, and all the candles were out. But the lights on the tree stayed. They were, after all, the humans’ love for their furkids, and that love wasn’t going to go out, ever.

 

Murphy sat back and watched his friends. Lucy was teaching her children "Silent Night", and they were doing very well at picking up the tune. Ollie and Louie were running around at top speed just for the sheer joy of it. The Lone Ranger and Silver were sharing their memories of their human families and laughing over something amusing. All that had happened that day – getting the star and making new friends, seeing the humans light candles, seeing her Mommy again – had been too much for Weezie; she was sitting on the ground, crying for the love in her heart. Tonto was holding her close and giving her comfort.

 

Sammy walked up to Murphy and smiled. Murphy smiled back and said, "Quite a day, buddy. Everything worked out great."

 

Sammy replied, "That’s true. We’ve done good, Murph. Oh, yeah, the folks in High Valley say hello."

 

"Oh, yes, I hadn’t thought about it, or I would have told you to look out for them. No harm done, I suppose. They’re nice folks."

 

The other ferret nodded. For awhile, the two friends said nothing, just enjoying the friendship. Then Sammy said, "Murph, I’ve been thinking about our Christmas tree."

 

"What about it?"

 

"Well, if a light appears on the tree for every candle our humans light for us… I don’t know about your Mommy, but mine is big on candles. She’ll light one every chance she gets, and I’m sure there will be plenty for me. And come to think of it Hanukkah is coming up soon – think what the Festival of Lights will be like – more candles!

 

"What I’m saying is – I think our Mommies and Daddies are going to be lighting a lot of candles for all of us. And if all those lights end up here… Will there be room on our Christmas tree for all those lights?"

 

Murphy laughed out loud. It was a laugh of simple joy. "Well, pal, I can think of worse problems than running out of room for all the love somebody sends me!" He studied the tree; another light appeared. "It’s something we’ll watch out for – not that I could figure out what to do about it. I’ll tell you what, I think you’re right – there will be a lot of lights. But I’m guessing that we won’t run out of room."

 

And as it turned out, he was right. But it was a close thing.

 

"Happy Hanukkah, friend."

 

"Merry Christmas, friend."

 

 

THE END

 

Copyright © 1999 Paul E. Jamison