Not all pirates sail the seas in search of an island. Some don’t wear patches, drink rum, or uncover Xs on white sandy beaches. There are pirates with furry bodies and melanin that spreads throughout the skin allowing them to blend, expertly straying from the prying eyes of predators – creatures who would steal from pirate caches- deception is a closet with many coats. Bandit pirates roamed the edges of marshes burying their stashes deep, until humans began to steal wild hearts; domesticated tiny villains. The pirates were forced to change their masks, and build new hideouts. Take a new land.
The treasure trove of this pirate is unique. It’s not filled with gold coins, silver, or shimmering jewels. There are no hidden caverns; or treasure maps that create long journeys with the likelihood of no return; only the unexpected. Small items begin to disappear: car keys, socks, mouth sized treasures: small treasures for small pirates. As the trinkets vanish, so do these masterful thieves. New hiding places remain undetected by land dwellers that have yet to venture outside of the human world, and down onto the level of quick critters. Away the beast sneaks, dooking happily, a new prize clasped within his greedy fangs. Shouts of “stop!” follow him into a tiny crevice; a secret world filled with plastic toys; a dog’s worn bear, squeaker lying defeated on the cold stone floor; car keys layered with dust bunnies; an old sock covered in dirt. Carefully the pirate lays down his treasure; and emerges back into the light, a new mission to discover.
How does one stop a pirate with the means to weasel into places humans cannot? An individual must partake in careful observation, and obtain the ability to ferret out secret places. To catch this particular thief, it may be necessary to sit behind a desk, and pretend you don’t notice your favorite pencil sharpener tottering on edge. Close your eyes briefly as the thief slips away, sharpener in tow. Then you follow his trail. Upon arriving at the entrance to his lair, stand ready to sweep the mischievous fellow off his feet. It isn’t quite possible to fully proof your home from thievery if you offer one of these pirates a bed, and a hot meal. Instead you must be a spy: always on guard, safekeeping sacred treasures.
Even under a watchful eye, distractions exist; expert pirates will strike again. One day a human child will make a mistake on an English paper. This human will reach out for a mechanism in which to erase the useless scribble; it won’t be there, and the adolescent will wonder what happened to their favorite scrub away tool. The ugly mark on lined paper will blink up at them, nagging and tugging at the mind’s strings. The feeling will cause an itch with the immediate need to be scratched. Favorite eraser forgotten, the kid will reach out for another pencil from the cup on their desk, and use it’s square end to remove any traces of wrong doing.
A day later, the eraser will be remembered. The kid will search all the usual stash nooks to no avail. Not under the bed, or behind it, not under the covers; not in the closets; gone with the wind. The master lurks nearby, oblivious to the thought processes unfolding in the human mind. The human likewise, does not suspect anything amiss. The pirate must have found a new hiding spot. This wouldn’t be unheard of; definitely not an outrageous thought to maneuver the brain jungle.

To uncover the secret of the missing pearl from a student’s treasured homework gadgets, it may be best to let the eraser slip again from the mind. Similar to forgetting a thought, not dwelling on its’ content- or in this dilemma, whereabouts- will aid in the remembrance of it: the unearthing of a lost jewel.
Time passes: a week goes by, and the favored mistake eraser is still unaccounted for, and the person missing it, has many other issues and plans crowding the mind, vying for attention. The mystery is unsolved, and the culprit of the deed has successfully found and kept a new hidey-hole.
Moving in and out of his comfortable nest, the pirate gathers new items to add to his collection. Meanwhile, the school day comes to an end; the girl hops off the yellow transport- as it bumps over potholes in the street, a rank stink left behind; fumes trailing in its wake- and races up the front steps and into the house. Abandoning her backpack in the den adjoining the kitchen, she takes the stairs two at a time and opens the door to the bedroom she shares with a furry pirate. Her mouth falls agape at what she next sees: the ferret has indeed found a new hiding place. Not only has a new treasure chest been located, but also homemade. The box spring of the girl’s mattress now has a wide hole for the pirate to transport booty in and out. The eraser is not on the girl’s mind as she runs for her mother, shouting that she has to come see what the weasel did this time!
Mother and daughter lift the mattress from the spring, and as they tilt the box upward, a rush of toys falls from the top to the bottom. Astounded, the girl reaches into the spring, and pulls out plastic turtles, ducks, and other pirate jewels. She feels like the stash will never be fully excavated! Item after item is lifted from the box spring, until finally a pink wedge is in hand; the pink pearl has been discovered. “So that’s where my eraser went!” the girl exclaims.
Ferrets are pirates too. With bandit masks; slender bodies perfect for looting in nooks and crannies; well-hidden treasure; and a knack for thievery, the only thing missing is a boat to sail away on once they’ve finally been caught.
The pink pearl was stored in a safe place; and though worn in parts- where the critter chewed to its’ heart’s content- it’s still a useful tool. The box spring now bears a patch, sown tightly into place to prevent the pirate from striking there again.
A master of disguise, thief in broad daylight; pirates that lurk in homes will continue their work. It’s in their nature; and in a name- ferret is derived from the latin word furonem, which means thief- so as it was in the beginning pirates will roam in search of hideouts and new treasures.