Who Framed Fozzie Bear Chapter 2

As Rich walked out of Kirk Thatcher's office, he encountered several Muppets like Big Bird, Oscar, Robin the Frog, Scooter, and the little-known Howard Tubman. Once he left the studio, Richard encountered a taxi driver, paid him 10 bucks, and took a ride to his wife Jenny's restaurant in Manhattan, which she inherited after her father died. The taxi driver was confused by this.

"Don't you have a car?" He asked.

"Who needs a car in New York when you can ride a taxi for a cheaper price?" Replied Rich. The truth was, Richard and Jenny weren't exactly wealthy: They didn't have modern cellphones, most of their furniture was from the 20th Century, and they still used VHS. After a half-hour drive, Rich arrived at the restaurant. When he went inside, one of the customers was depressed with his head on a table.

"What's with him?" Asked Rich.

"Laid off." Said another customer. "The taxi service got bought out by some big company called Mad Man Money. Triple M for short."

"No kidding." Said Rich. "They bought the taxi service?"

"Yeah." Said the customer. "Put poor Jerry on a two weeks notice." As the customer walked away, Rich saw a glass of root beer on the counter. He was about to take a drink, but then, a hand covered it. It was Jenny Castillanos, who helped the Muppets get on Broadway over 30 years earlier.

"Tomorrow's Friday, Richie." She said. "Know what happens on Friday?"

"Baklava discount?" He joked.

"The tax collector comes on Friday." She said. "And if I don't have that money I gave you, I'm going to lose my job!"

"Don't bust a button, Jennifer." Said Richard, handing her the check. "You only have one left."

"Fifty bucks?" She said in amazement. "Where's the rest?"

"Kirk Thatcher has it." Said Rich. "Do you still have that camera? It's for my job." Jenny looked in the pantry, and a rat gave her a Polaroid camera, which she handed to Richard.

"I haven't' had the film developed since our honeymoon in Florida." She said. "Sure was a long time ago."

"It was a long time ago." Said Rich. "We should do that again sometime."

"So, you said Kirk Thatcher gave it to you?" Asked Jenny. "As in that Muppet guy?"

"Muppet guy?" Said a voice. It was Jared Weisner, who would rat you out for a dollar. "Who's your client, Sherlock Felt? Kermit the Frog or Charlie McCarthy?"

"What would you like?" Asked Jenny.

"I'll have a BLT, toots." Replied Jared, who continued teasing Rich. "So what happened? Did Uncle Traveling Matt get lost in Outer Space?"

"Cut it out, Jared." Said Jenny, who was starting to get annoyed.

"Wait a minute, I know." Said Jared. "Cookie Monster lost his cookies, and you're going to help him find them!" As Jared continued laughing, Richard popped his cork and pinned him against the counter.

"Get this straight, meatball." Said Rich. "I don't work for puppets!" He stuffed an egg in Jared's mouth and stormed off.

"What's his problem?" Asked Jared, spitting out the egg.

"A puppet killed his brother." Said Jenny, and all the customers were shocked. "He dropped a piano on his head from 15 stories."

Jenny was right. A couple years earlier, Rich had a brother named Paul, and the two of them would solve puppet crimes together. When Paul got killed, however, Rich developed a grudge for puppets.

Author's Notes: Jenny was a human character in The Muppets Take Manhattan. She was a waitress in her late teens who helped her father Pete with his restaurant, and would also help the Muppets get to Broadway. In this story, she plays the role of Eddie Valiant's girlfriend, Dolores.

Jared Weisner is named after a bully I encountered in 5th and 6th Grade, who made fun of me just because I liked Pokémon.

Mad Man Money, Triple M for short, is named after the car dealer Mad Man Mooney in The Muppet Movie.

Charlie McCarthy was a puppet character (but not a Muppet) created by Jim Henson's hero, ventriloquist Edgar Bergan. Charlie was part of Bergen's act as early as high school, and by 1930, was suited up in his famous top hat, tuxedo, and monocle. Charlie's personality was that of a mischievous little boy (with an Irish accent), who could wisecrack, misbehave, and flirt shamelessly in a way that Bergen couldn't. He and Edgar Bergan appeared in a Season 2 episode of The Muppet Show, along with another Bergan creation, the dim-witted Mortimer Snerd.

After Edgar Bergan died in 1978, Charlie McCarthy retired, and he was placed on display at the Smithsonian. Here's a clip of Edgar and Charlie appearing at a ceremony for Orson Wells.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brT6gXdhLWk

Anyway, Charlie will appear in Chapter 10, when he sky-dives with Kermit.

Uncle Traveling Matt was Gobo's uncle on Fraggle Rock who, after exploring every nook and cranny in Fraggle Rock, decided to venture into Outer Space (which the Fraggles call the human world) and makes several observations on Silly Creatures (humans). Matt encountered Sidewalk Creatures (parking meters), a wish-granting creature (Santa Claus), flying creatures (balloons and kites), and mouth-burners (people who smoke) during his adventures in Outer Space.

Uncle Matt testing out the Silly Creature's Transport System, which was actually a rollercoaster.

Howard Tubman was a gluttonous and obese pig who appeared on Muppets Tonight. He appeared on the 'Tubmans of Porksmith' and 'Boarshead Revisited' sketches.