Penny and Cherie were playing a game of tussle with a willow branch. Cherie was still adjusting to her arrival at the Bridge and still found amazement in the strength of her legs and her pain free body. She gave her head a mighty shake and Penny had to take a step forward. "Point to Cherie" said Lucky, refereeing from the sidelines. Penny wagged her tail and redoubled her efforts.

Lucky wagged his tail and barked his greetings as a collie ran by in pursuit of a rabbit. Dog dogs weren't allowed to really catch the rabbits but then chasing was all the fun. He made a mental note to asked Floppsie if he felt like a run later. Lucky turned his attention back to the tussle just in time to see Penny drop the willow branch and wagged, as only a beagle can, all over. "You give up????" asked Cherie, doing a decent job of wagging herself.

"Yes. You sure do pull good for a little dog".

Cherie beamed.

As they walked to find a snack, the colors in the sky began to shift and the gentle song that soothed their days began to segue into the Welcoming Song. Lucky listened for a moment, the song lifted the leaves in the trees as it danced over the Bridge. Then he heard it, the low mournful yowl that reminded him of a wolf crying to the moon. It was a dog dog that came. He turned to his companions and saw that they, too, had heard the call.

They turned from their course and began to make their way to the gate. From every direction the dogs of the Bridge came to join them. Cherie looked up and noticed that a group of cats, just like the ones that came to greet her, were gathering. "Um, I hope this isn't rude, but why are those cats coming?" she said.

Penny looked at the Company of Kiddens and said, "Because they are our furiends too and because the dog dog that comes was loved by kiddens."

"You mean like my kidden cousins?"

"Yes. This new dog dog leaves behind kiddens that shared their human and their homes with him. Under the fur, we are all one family."

When the dog dogs arrived at the gate they formed a cirle. Tails normally wagging in joy lay still. They lifted their muzzles and bayed to the song in the wind, that the new arrival might find their way.

A flash of blue light appeared in the Gate and when it had dispersed a beautiful Irish Setter sat there blinking. Cinnamon looked around at the gathered dog dogs and at the multi-hued sky and sighed. "The Rainbow Bridge?"

"Yes," said Lucky, "and welcome".

Cinnamon looked out over the Rainbow and thought wistfully of her humans and the feel of the ear scritches she loved so much.

"Don't be sad" said Cherie, "You'll see them again. They explained it all to me when I came. This is where we wait for our humans. And you can feel their pets all the time. Just lay real still and think of them and you'll feel it."

Cinnamon looked into Cherie's bright eyes and knew she spoke the truth.

She sighed, "I hate to admit this, being a dog and all, but I'm going to miss my kidden friends".

Lucky exposed his flea teeth in a smile, "Oh I think we can take care of that". And with that the dog dogs moved aside and Cinnamon saw dozens of kiddens sitting patiently, waiting to give their greetings. Cinnamon laughed. "This already feels like home!".

The kiddens came forward and rubbed against Cinnamon and purred their greetings. And when the Welcoming Ceremony was complete they walked before Cinnamon with dancing tails to show her the way to her new home.

© Copyright 1993 Constance Jenkins. All Rights Reserved. The author retains all copyright and intellectual rights to this work. It may not be printed in whole or in part without express written permission.