Chapter 3
Robins Story - The Swamp 1969
“Robin the Frog, all you ever want to do is play television! We’re sick of playing television! You don’t even know what a television is!” Becky Sue stomped with disgust at her brother. All of his siblings lined up behind Becky Sue and voiced their agreement.
“I do too! Uncle Kermit makes everyone happy by being in it! And I know that it’s better than anything else in this world because Uncle Kermit works on it!” Robin’s voice was shrill as he shouted back at them.
“You haven’t even seen anything that Uncle Kermit’s done. How would you know?”
“Yes I have. We all took that trip into Leland to see him and his friends on that night show.”
“You didn’t stay awake for that. Mommy told me so. It was too late for a little frog like you to stay up for.”
“Not true, you’re the one who couldn’t stay awake!”
“Well, if you like Kermit’s world so much why don’t you go live with him!”
“Maybe I will!” Robin slowly backed away, plunged into the water and swam towards his favorite log.
Kermit sat on the edge of the swamp with his brother watching as his nephew swam towards the special spot. He turned and looked at Jimmy a tense smirk upon his face.
“And that’s how it’s been Kermit.”
“Mmm hmm.” Kermit closed his eyes a second, picturing the possibilities. There was this one special that Jim and he were starting to bat around the ideas for. “Do you think he’s made his decision already?”
“Look at how much smaller he is than his siblings. He doesn’t have a choice, just as you didn’t when you realized that you were no longer in the same place as us. What was it that your friend Jim told you?”
“That some are just Muppets from the start.”
“Yea, and wasn’t there something else about your ages staying the same and why you choose one over another?”
“Jimmy, you know as well as I do what he said, you were there.”
“Just checking little brother. Leaper and I won’t object if you take Robin with you. We’d rather him be with someone we trust than some agent that gets lost in a boat in the middle of the swamp.”
Kermit shook his head pretending not to hear the last comment as he jumped into the water and swam away to talk with his nephew. He slowed as he neared the log Robin sat on, listening quietly as Robin sang his heart out while trying to strum the cords on the banjo that was perched there.
“So we've been told and some choose to believe it
I know they're wrong, wait and see.”
Kermit slowly climbed out of the water and onto the log next to his nephew. Robin looked up at his Uncle as he continued to sing.
”Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.”
Kermit picked up the banjo picking up the melody in the middle of the song and singing with his nephew.
“Who said that every wish would be heard and answered
When wished on the morning star?
Somebody thought of that
And someone believed it,
And look what it's done so far.
What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing?
And what do we think we might see?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.
All of us under its spell,
We know that it's probably magic....”
Kermit continued strumming as he let Robin sing the rest of the song solo.
”Have you been half asleep
And have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name.
Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?
The voice might be one and the same.
I've heard it too many times to ignore it.
Is it something that I'm supposed to be?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.
La, la la, La, la la la, La Laa, la la, La, La la laaaaaaa”
Robin pushed the banjo out of Kermit’s lap, replacing it with himself. “Uncle Kermit, I don’t belong here.”
“Really?”
“No, I don’t belong here. I’m not like all of my siblings.”
Kermit peered down into the eyes of his nephew. In them he could see wonder and innocence, wisdom and amazement. In them he could see the need to belong to something that was bigger than he was; the need to find a family that accepted him with all of his quirks, not just for all of his quirks. In them he could see everything he was at that age and everything he knew Robin could become.
“What do you mean, Robin?”
Robin hopped down from his Uncles lap. He dove quickly into the water and surfaced again on a lily pad. “I don’t know.” He continued jumping from lily pad to lily pad. How do I explain how uncomfortable I am? How do I say I love my family but need something else? “I just… I don’t like the same things they do. I like the same things you do!”
Kermit watched silently as Robin puzzled out his feelings. They were the same ones that he had before he’d gotten together with Jim.
“I like rainbows and dreaming. I like making people happy, I like that knowing that no matter what, if you have love and people to support you it will be alright. I like music and dancing and singing and… and… and I don’t know why it matter’s anyway. I’ll never be big enough to do what you do.” Robin came back to sit beside his uncle, his chin in his hands.
“Robin, do you remember meeting my friend Jim?”
“Yea, I remember him being surprised that there were so many of us.”
“We are an overwhelming group. Do you remember anything else about that visit?”
“No, not much. Just that he told you something about having the heart and having something muppetty like that took you away from living with us and being able to do what you like.”
Kermit picked Robin up placing him gently in his lap. He looked down into Robin’s eyes captivated by everything in them as he spoke. “Jim said that while we all may look the same and be brothers and sisters that some of us are special because we have the heart that wants everything for others and nothing for ourselves.”
“But Uncle Kermit, I want to dance and sing and do all of that because I like it.”
“Yes, and you like it because it makes others happy. You like it because it puts a smile on others faces and makes them forget about their troubles. You like it because it’s what you can do to ease someone else’s pain. You have the heart of a true Muppet, the theatre troupe that Jim is trying to put together.”
Robin looked at his Uncle, puzzling through what he had said. “I’m still never going to be big enough to do what you do.”
“You could be. If you want to try it we can.”
“Okay Uncle Kermit,” Robin slid off of Kermit’s lap into the water having not paid attention to what he had been told. As the words that had been spoken sank in he popped back up onto the log in a swift motion, spraying Kermit with water. His eyes were wide as he bounced around, “Do you mean it Uncle Kermit? We can try and see if I like it? I can come with you and be on the television?”
“Sure, we’ll give it a try. I have to go talk to Jim first, but I think we have something coming up fairly soon that we can put you in. It will be a lot of work though.”
“Oh, boy! I can’t wait!”
* * * *
Rowlf handed the notebook back to Robin as he closed his eyes remembering when Kermit had told them his nephew would be joining them.
“That’s very well written, Robin.”
Robin looked almost embarrassed as he whispered back to Rowlf, “thank you.”
“Are you going to add more to it about getting to come here?”
“I wasn’t finished yet! You said you wanted to see what I had.”
Rowlf chuckled through his reply, “You’re right. I did. What do you say we go tell Fozzie and Scooter about this plan of yours? That way we can decide who everyone will interview and get started.”
“Rowlf, do you think Uncle Kermit will like what we’re doing?”
[FONT="]“I’m sure he will Robin. I’m sure he will.”[/FONT]
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