Frogtown Hollow — Emmet and Alice Otter of the famous Frogtown Hollow Jubilee Jug-band have been reported missing. The mother/son duo, best known for their hits Barbecue, In Our World, When the River meets the Sea and Ain't no Hole in the Washtub, were last seen at the Riverside Rest back on Christmas Eve 1977, where they and the band performed.

"Emmet and Alice are two of the nicest folk on da river," said owner and operator of the Riverside Rest, Doc Bullfrog. "During the winter time, the river gets pretty solid. And Alice believes it's quicker for them to get home if they walk on the ice. Perhaps the ice wasn't solid enough."

The Otters traveled on the icy river alone while the rest of the band members; Wendel the Porcupine, Harvey the Beaver and Charlie (no one knows what he is), stayed behind to feast on some more mashed potatoes (Wendel's favorite). The band became very concerned when the Otters (who run a humble laundry business) failed to show up for their follow-up gig at the restaurant a week later.

"I went by their house to see if they were both sick or something," said Wendel. "But when I got there, all the lights were out and there were piles of unwashed laundry all over the place. Plus their little rowboat was gone too."

But how could they paddle along an icy river?

"I checked to see if maybe they were using the boat as a sled on their pa's old slide. But it looked like they hadn't been there either"

Wendel said he once heard Emmet talking about how much he wished he had $40 so he could buy that guitar with the mother of pearl inlay, which was displayed in the window of the town music store. When Wendel got to the music store he realized that the Otters had not been there because the guitar was still in the window.

Family friend Will Possum thinks four young lads from Riverbottom, who call themselves The Riverbottom Nightmare Band, had something to do with this.

"After all, who can trust a gang that is made up of a bear, a weasel, a lizard, a fish and a snake that plays guitar?"