Monday, April 14, 2008

The Ferret

I thought of a good story I wanted to tell you about. We had a little box in the store that "housed" a ferret. Joan's Dad got it for us and we had quite a lot of fun showing "him" off.

How it all started was: One year, after we'd been to Wisconsin for a visit to Joan's Mom and Dad's place, Joan had called them to talk, and her Dad got on the phone. He told her that he'd caught a little animal, a baby one, that was orphaned or something like that, and that he knew that she was a sucker for little baby animals (that's a whole other story in itself), so he was going to keep it for her till we got back up there to take it home with us. He said he'd even built a little cage for it, and was feeding it. She told him that she really didn't need anymore animals to take care of, but he really thought she needed to have this little guy.

Well, several months went by, and frankly, we forgot all about the ferret. So, we made another trip to Wisconsin, probably around Christmas time, and first rattle out of the box, Joan's Dad said, "Well, now you can take that ferret home when you go." She couldn't believe that he actually still had the thing, but up from the basement he comes with this cute little cage with wire over the front, sleeping quarters in the back half all enclosed, a little bowl of water, and one of food in it. So, of course, we were GOING to take it back to Oklahoma with us.

Well, Joan said, "Can I see him?" and her Dad told her that he was kinda shy and stayed hidden back in the little house part most of the time. So, he gets him a little stick and gets down there and starts poking the stick in that little hole all the time whistling to it, and trying to coax it out. And THEN, he pulled a little knob on the back of the cage, and this furry thing came FLYING out of that house and leaped right on Joan's chest. SHE ABOUT DIED!!! Her Dad was laughing so hard, and Joan was shrieking, and it was HILARIOUS. That little piece of fur just about caused a train wreck in her shorts.

Anyway, after blessing her Dad out for pulling such a DIRTY, ROTTEN trick on his daughter, we all had a good laugh and began to see the wonderful possibilities for our little ferret at Babcock's Store. I guess her Dad had run out of friends and neighbors to show it to, so now it was our turn.

And, WE HAD A BALL WITH IT!! We did put in on an elastic band so that when it flew out it only went so far. I truly believe we'd have had a major accident if it had been loose. Some folks just don't handle a "furry little beast" flying out of a box and landing on them too well. We just left the little cage sitting on a counter with a sign that read, "Do not touch. Ferret." Of course, everyone wanted to see it.

When son Bert and his wife were living in Oklahoma and helping out in the store, you'd see Bert over there telling some unwary visitor about our little ferret. He'd get poking in that hole, and all at once you'd hear, "HERE 'E COMES!!" Then there would be screams and insane laughter, usually not from the same person. We truly had a great time with that ferret.

So, thanks, Les, for giving us something that was so much fun.
wb

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