Little Frogtown/Transcript

-Baskins: "There I was, about to split the case of the century wide open. The person behind it all was right behind this chair, and it was my job to deliver justice with my fists."

-Polly and Sprig: "Ooh!"

-Hop Pop: "Whoa."

-Anne: "Aren't these old detective films the greatest? It's like a normal movie, but no one talks out loud and everybody loses in the end."

-Hop Pop: "I love it. Just a hard-boiled guy tryin' to right wrongs, without any of that fancy color nonsense getting in the way."

-Anne: "Hop Pop, shouldn't you be focusing on driving?"

-[honking]

-[brakes squealing]

-Hop Pop: "All right, kids. We're here."

-Anne, Polly, and Sprig: "An arcade."

-Anne: "Totally worth it."

-Polly: "You're the best Hop Pop who ever hopped."

Hop Pop: "What? No, no, no. We're going there."

-Anne: "Boo!"

-Polly and Sprig: "Aw, Hop Pop."

-[all] "Ow."

-Hop Pop: "Shush, youngsters. Have a little respect. This is Sal's. Sal was like a brother to me. We've been friends since the old ways were just "the ways." He was so good at making sandwiches, he decided to relocate to Newtopia to make the "buko dolares." Oh, kids, how I've dreamed of those sandwiches. That lightly toasted bread, the fresh green lettuce, the thin yet supple slices of roast beetle, and finally... the sauce. Tangy, zippy, and just plain amazing. Oh, lordy!!"

-Anne: "Whoa. Sounds like that you really need to be alone with this sandwich, HP."

-Sprig: *Iaughs* "Zing!"

-Hop Pop: "Hush. I promised myself if I ever made it to Newtopia, I'd swing by for one of those sweet, sweet sandies. Now, come on, gang, who's ready to revisit the glory days?"

-Sprig: "Hop Pop, this looks really important to you. And the three of us would never want to get in the way of something so person..."

-Hop Pop: "You wanna go to the arcade, don't ya?"

-[all] "Yes, please."

-Hop Pop: "Fine. Play your newfangled games. But it's that attitude that's causing tradition to be left in the dust... *coughs, sighs* Guess what, Sal? It's your old pal Hope... *gasps* What the... Wha... What happened here?! Sal? Sal?! *strains* Sal's trademark fedora. But he never went anywhere without it. *thinking* Sal would never leave his shop unattended. Something happened here, something bad.

-[light buzzes]

This was foul play,

and it was my job to get to the bottom of it.

I just wish I had some kind of clue. What's this? Blood? No, sauce. People were always asking Sal for his secret recipe. Offered to pay big. But he said family tradition was more important than a few copper coins. *chuckles* My kinda frog, who made my kind of sauce.

[smacks lips]

Hmm. Newtropolitan Gala, tonight 8:00 p.m.

"Get the sauce!!"?

Looks like someone got tired of askin'

and took his recipe by force.

Now all I had to do was follow the sauce to find Sal.

Follow the sauce. Find Sal.

You don't have to repeat me.

Sorry, sorry. *chuckles*"

-Anne: "Man, this is a long line."

-Sprig: "Maybe it'll go quickly."

-Polly: "Kill me."

- Anne: *groans*

[gasps] "Did y'all see that? We just got cut."

- Sprig: "Eh, what are ya gonna do?"

-Anne: "Are you kidding? We have to say something."

-Sprig: "I don't know, Anne. Isn't it just better to let this one go?"

-Polly: "Yeah, Anne. He's beneath us."

Guys, this isn't just about cutting.

This is about justice, doing the right thing. And...

Huh?

Was that Hop Pop in a tuxedo?

[both] Huh.

[jazz music playing]

[chattering, laughing]

Ooh, good heavens.

♪ I haven't had a bite Since a quarter to three ♪

♪ Now I'm thinking Something's gonna take A bite outta me... ♪

You guys should buy bug coin.

And then I said, "That's what boot straps are for."

♪ ...man said You can't have it all ♪

Oh. We don't see many frogs at the Newtropolitan.

You must be quite wealthy. What do you do?

I'm a farmer.

No!

Farmerceutical executive.

Nice save.

Canapé? The sauce is to die for.

-[echoes] ...die for... -[gasps]

Sal's sauce, and not on a sandwich.

He never would have stood for this.

One thing was for sure, Sal was in trouble and needed my help.

[clears throat] Say there, sonny.

Would you mind doing a gentleman a favor?

Anything, sir.

Hoo boy! Gonna need another round with extra sauce.

Say, where do we get that sauce again?

Frog cannot be here. Move.

Why? 'Fraid of what I might find?

[grunts]

[gasps]

There. Is health violation.

Oh, okay.

So, any chance you could direct me to your supplier?

There he is! That's the guy who stole my clothes and my tray.

You're gonna have to come with me, sir.

Okay, okay. Don't want any... trouble!

-[Hop Pop] Yah! -[groans]

Ha! Take that, you...

[chokes, wheezes]

[groans, sighs]

Looks like I hit a dead end.

Without a source on the sauce, or even an address, I was out of luck.

-Well, that works. - But I had to hurry.

Whoever was behind this could be torturing Sal right now.

Brutalizing him. Maiming him. Tearing him a...

Whoa, whoa. Too graphic.

Sorry, sorry.

Finally!

Hey, guys, over here.

-[groans] -Just let it go.

Are you kidding me with this?

You got a problem?

Oh, you think? You know what you did, cutter.

Pfft. Who's cutting, weirdo?

Yeah, he was just savin' our spots.

Uh-uh. Nope. That is not how this works.

That is not how any of this works.

Doesn't anyone else see this injustice?

-[woman] Calm down, lady. -You calm down.

Now, listen up. I'm giving you little twerps till the count of three

to get to the back of the line, or I'll...

-Or you'll what? -Yeah, what?

Oh, ho-ho. News flash, kid.

I'm a monster from another world.

-I might eat newts for breakfast. -[all gasp]

[in deep voice] You wanna find out?

[whimpers, crying]

Oh, no, no, no. Hey, hey, hey, don't cry.

-Did she threaten to eat those kids? -Someone call security.

I think I just made a mistake.

[siren wailing]

[gasps]

This was bigger than I could've imagined.

Whoever was behind this turned an old frog's family legacy into a soulless profit machine.

Uh, can I help you?

Shhhh.

Eh.

I had finally found the sauce, but where was Sal?

Oi! Who the heck are you?

Uh, who are you?

I'm the blooming floor manager. And you're trespassing, mate.

[grunts]

He was huge, ugly, and probably hit like a truck.

Luckily, I knew a thing or two about fisticuffs myself.

Hold on. Do I?

Huh. Lucky shot. Wouldn't be so lucky next time.

[both grunting]

[panting, groans]

[screaming]

[sizzling]

One thing was for sure, the health inspector wasn't gonna like this.

But the health inspector was the least of my concerns.

I wanted answers.

And right before me was the big cheese who had 'em all.

The jig is up, villain.

Now tell me what you've done with...

[gasps] Sal?

Hopediah. It's been a long time, old friend.

So you're behind all this! Of course.

You kidnapped yourself to steal your own, uh...

Uh, hang on a sec.

Whoa, whoa. Slow down. What are you talking about?

I went by the deli. It was ransacked.

Someone stole your recipe and sold it off to the highest bidder!

They were spreading your sauce on fancy food at a swanky gala.

Hopediah, this is my factory.

I sauce all the major events in Newtopia.

I don't believe it.

The Sal I knew was a sandwich man,

through and through.

[chuckles] You know, it was a tough call.

The sandwich biz was dying.

I knew my sauce was a hit,

but nobody wanted it between slices of bread.

I was nervous at first, but the change ended up being great for me.

Heck, I even retired that silly fedora.

Now instead of making traditional sandwiches for no one,

I make just the sauce for everyone.

Turns out if you embrace change instead of clinging to the past,

you get a say in what the future looks like.

Heck, you can even bring some of the past along with you.

Thanks, Sal. You're a good frog.

Sorry for getting so carried away.

I almost took it too far.

What? What are you talking about?

Boss, we just found a body in vat number three.

-What? -Oh, will you look at the time?

Gotta go. Bye.

Hey, kids. Play any newfangled games?

-Actually, they banned us for life. -It was Anne's fault.

Because I was willing to stand up for what was right.

Hey! This whole thing is their fault.

Ma'am, I'm gonna need you to take a step back.

Oh, yeah, like you're really gonna tase a kid...

[screaming]

Anyway, I was right, and that's that.

How 'bout you, Hop Pop? You enjoy those sandwiches?

[chuckles] Not exactly.

Looks like I had quite a tale to tell.

Quite a tale, indeed.

-Hop Pop? -Anyone home?

Oh, crud. Did I not say that out loud?

I guess that's the funny thing about narrating.

You're talking, but you're not talking, you know?

I think Hop Pop's broken.

Kids can you hear me? Is my mouth moving?

Am I gonna be stuck like this forever?

Help me, oh, frog!