Chapter 4
Kermit never realized how much he was underdressed every moment of his life until this moment of his life occurred. For some reason, being in a board room with two men, a mouse, and duck; all dressed to the nines in fancy suits and ties; really made a frog feel like he was standing naked before the class—except the class was two men, a mouse, and a duck.
At least Donald wasn’t wearing pants.
Mickey introduced the two men individually. Nick Stoller was a skinny, Caucasian man with moppy brown hair and a visible grin on his face. Jason Segal was also a tall Caucasian man, but he had broad shoulders and ruffled brown hair standing up on his head. His smile, however, was huge. It spread across his face as his pearly whites shone through in the direction of the frog.
“Oh, well, hi-ho, I’m Kermit the Frog," Kermit said with a smile, still not quite sure who these two men were.
“We know!" Jason Segal spat out. “I’m—we’re huge fans, mister the Frog, we’ve seen everything you’ve done—okay, maybe not everything, but gosh, we love what we’ve seen of you!"
Kermit smiled. “Mick, don’t tell me you brought me in here to meet a few crazed fans who just happen to be big stock holders," Kermit said to the mouse with a smirk.
Mickey chuckled. “Nope, just a few crazed fans that happen to be writing, directing, and co-starring alongside you in your next movie," he said.
“Oh, another direct to T.V. special?" Kermit asked. “Listen fellas, can we do Cinderella this time? I think Gonzo would make a great Fairy God-Whatever.”
Segal laughed and Stoller shook his head. “I totally agree with ya there Mit—can I call ya Mit?" Segal asked.
“I wish you wouldn’t," Kermit said with a genuine smile.
“Mind if I ask why?" Segal asked.
Kermit smirked. “Because it makes you sound like my sister," he said. “And frankly Mister Segal, you’re no frog.”
“Especially not a girl frog," Stoller said.
“Exactly," Kermit said with a chuckle.
Segal frowned. “Anyway Kermit, I do love your idea for Cinderella, but aren’t tired of playing someone other than yourself? C’mon, frog, tell me you’re not sick of stuff like Muppets Underwater or Muppets Go Western," he said.
Kermit laughed. “You said you’ve seen all we’ve done—I don’t remember either of those projects," the frog said happily.
“We just think, Kermit," Stoller spoke up. “That as far as your films go, you’ve been heading in the wrong direction ever since Muppets From Space flopped.”
“That was a movie?" Kermit asked sarcastically. “I thought it was a documentary…”
“Which would explain the bad acting," Segal said.
Kermit scrunched up his face. “It’s not our fault Ray Liota had a summer job as a security guard for C.O.V.N.E.T…”
“Anyway, Kermit, what we really want is for you and the gang to get back to playing yourselves," Segal said. Mickey smiled happily and nodded. “Get you back together to put on a show!"
“Sorry to poke a hole in your script, Mister Segal," Kermit said. “But the gang and I are still together. If you haven’t heard, Piggy and I are getting married—and we still do the show. The cameras just aren’t on.”
“Well the general public doesn’t know that," Stoller said. “They think you’ve all been on hiatus since Oz—probably before that! We’re hoping that with this movie, we’ll get those cameras back on!"
“I don’t think made-for T.V. movies usually do that well Mister Stoller," Kermit said.
“That’s why we’re putting it on the big screen," Mickey said.
“Yeah," Donald said excitedly. The duck motioned to Segal and Stoller. “Their pitch is that good!"
Kermit thought this idea through in his head for a moment, making eye contact with both Segal and Stoller. “Generally I like it," Kermit said with a grin. “Especially the part about the big-screen… How much of a script do you have written?" he asked.
“Well… that’s kind of why we asked you here today," Segal said sheepishly.
“Oh, you mean you had something else to tell me—besides the fact that I have to prepare for a new theatrical film?" Kermit smirked.
“You’re also writing the new theatrical film," Segal said quickly.
Donald squawked loudly as Kermit fell out of his chair so fast that he hit Donald’s out from underneath his ducky tuckus, sending him falling to the floor as well.
~-~-~-~-~
“Alright, spill it," Miss Piggy said angrily, still glaring at Clifford and the others on the stage at the Muppet Theater. “What’re you doing to sabotage moi’s wedding now?"
“What’s sabotage?" Elmo asked.
“Sounds dangerous," Telly added.
“And what are they doing here four months before the wedding?" Piggy asked.
“Counting, of course!" The Count shouted.
Rizzo nodded. “Yeah, d’at’s the gist of it so far," he said.
“We’re not trying to sabotage your wedding, Piggy," Rowlf said.
“Yeah, if we were, we coulda done it before the frog proposed," Floyd said.
“Oh," Piggy said gruffly. “You’re not trying to break Kermie away from moi?"
“We’re not brave enough to do that," Fozzie said.
“Speak for yerself, rug!" Aunt Marge shouted at Fozzie.
Piggy groaned as she heard the familiar old voice of a familiar old frog. She turned to face the group of frogs still standing by the door of the theater and smiled crookedly. “Oh, look, all of Kermie’s family has come from the swamp too, how quaint," she said, her voice oozing sarcasm and angst.
“Well, not all of us," Jimmy said. “I doubt all of us could fit on the train up here. The rest of the family’s coming just for the wedding.”
“That’s when you were supposed to come," Piggy muttered.
“Beg your pardon?" Aunt Marge asked angrily.
Piggy caught herself. “Erm, I said, I cannot wait for them to come!" she recovered.
“Really?" Maggie asked with an evil grin. “’Cause if you feel that way, I could call them up real quick and they could be here in two shakes of a swamp rat’s tail!"
“No!" Piggy shouted quickly. “I—uh, I mean, no, no, I do not think we have room for them, unfortunately.” She laughed nervously.
“Oh, well, we can fix that!" declared Dr. Bunsen Honeydew as he came toddling on stage with his assistant Beaker following behind uneasily. “We at Muppet Labs strive to make everyday life easier everyday, which is why we’ve perfect our new Insta-Home-a-Grower!"
“What?" Piggy asked, annoyed.
Bunsen chuckled giddily. “It’s quite simple, really, Miss Piggy.” Bunsen reached into his pocket and pulled out a small seed shaped like a “For Sale” sign. “You simply put a dab of water on this one little seed, and soon you have your own, fully furnished home—no messy contracting jobs needed!"
Clifford lowered his sunglasses and stared at Dr. Honeydew. “Dr. ‘dew, what do you hope to solve with these things?" he asked.
“The housing shortage, of course!" Bunsen declared excitedly.
“Mee mo!" Beaker added.
Floyd blinked. “This might actually be somethin’ useful," he said.
“Like, it would really help the homeless," Janice said.
“Useful! Useful!" Animal chanted from a row of cushion-less seats.
“And then the rest of the family can come stay," Maggie said. “Won’t that be just wonderful, Miss Piggy?"
“Peachy," Piggy said angrily. “Um, Robin, dear, why don’t you show our visitors around the town, hmm?" Piggy asked sweetly.
“Oh, I already did that on the way over here from the train station, Miss Piggy," Robin said happily.
“Do it again," Piggy said kindly.
“What?" Robin asked.
“Do it… again," Piggy said with a hint of anger slipping off her tongue.
Robin gulped. “You got it," he said. “Alright, c’mon, follow me everyone!"
“You too, Sesame seeds," Piggy said to the Sesame Street gang. They all followed Robin out of the theater with all of the frogs.
“I have a bad feeling about d’is, hokay," Pepe said.
“Bunsen, dear," Piggy said. “May moi please see your new, wonderful invention?"
“Well of course Miss Piggy!" Bunsen said gladly, handing Miss Piggy the small sign.
Miss Piggy examined it carefully. “Is this the first time you’re trying this out?" she asked.
“Why, yes, it’s the only prototype model we have, Beaker has yet to—“
Piggy threw the sign on the stage. “Hi-YA!" she shouted, stepping down hard on the small sign.
Bunsen jumped, sending his glasses wobbling around his face. “M—Miss Piggy, how could you?"
“Piggy," Gonzo said, “that could’ve provided homes for millions of people!"
“And hundreds of in-laws," she said. “And moi am sure none of you want that, right?"
The Muppets thought about this question quietly.
“She’s got a point," Floyd said.
“Rully," Janice said with a nod.
“It’s less food we have to share," Rizzo said.
“Si, si, and less chance of getting de warts, hokay," Pepe added.
“Bragawk," Camilla agreed.
“Good.” Miss Piggy said with a swift nod. “Now... someone grab these shopping bags and let’s figure out what to do with all of these… things.”