Lean Green Jumping Machine

Lean Green Jumping Machine is the ninety first episode from Season 1.

Plot
One evening, Dennis is writing to his cousin Albert about Mark Twain Day, and how the town is in an uproar about it. Everyone dresses how Mark Twain dressed. Dennis claims Mr. Wilson loves wearing suspenders when actually, he hates them because Lars unknowingly pulled them with a hockey stick. They also have a frog jumping contest and have to paint the fence white.

Margaret, who is dressed as Becky Thatcher, orders Dennis, Gina and Jay, who are all dressed as Huckleberry Finn and Thomas Sawyer, to paint faster, until Dennis threatens to paint over her, to make her look like Becky's ghost. This prompts Margaret to tell on Dennis to Alice. When Willy jumps out, it's time for Dennis to train him for the frog jumping contest. Dennis threatens Margaret by asking her to help, only for Margaret to object due to her distaste for frogs.

Gina agrees to help because she doesn't have a frog. Dennis starts talking about the Huckleberry Finn Fishing Derby. Lars uses his hockey stick and rope as a fishing rod, but unfortunately catches an old boot. Dennis says Mark Twain Day is his favourite holiday. Lars throws the boot away, not knowing it hit a tree and landed on Margaret, ruining her Becky dress. Dennis promises Gina that Willy will find her a frog. When Willy ribbits, many other frogs come out to play.

Gina spots a frog she wants, and is just about to catch it with her net when a flash occurs. Halley's Comet flies across the sky. A Southern man suddenly appears out of nowhere and explains that they witnessed their first comet. The man introduces himself as Clemens, and agrees to teach the kids how to catch a frog. Dennis has his own way; If you can't catch them, join them. Then, he proceeds to jump into the water and let numerous frogs jump out of it.

Clemens throws his hat and catches a frog with it. Dennis jumps on the hat and gives it back to Clemens. Dennis continues to tell Albert about Mr. Clemens. While training for the frog jumping contest, Gina shows her frog, which she named "Froggy", how to jump. But Froggy just goes to sleep, causing Gina to jump to the conclusion Froggy croaked, as in died. Clemens comes over to explain that you have to whisper what the frog wants to hear in its ear. Clemens whispers into his frog's ear, lets it down, and his frog jumps away.

Dennis whispers into Willy's ear and he jumps away. Dennis explains he whispered to Willy that he'd share his peanut butter sandwich. Gina tries to whisper to Froggy what Dennis whispered to Willy, but Froggy simply ignores her and continues to sleep. As Margaret comes along, Froggy wakes up, smells something, and jumps into the bowl of lemonade Margaret was carrying. Dennis now knows that while Froggy isn't into peanut butter, he's into lemonade. Margaret starts to yell at Dennis.

Later, Mr. Wilson announces the frog jumping competition when Lars' fishing rope catches onto his suspender and pulls him into the water. When it's time for the frog jumping contest, everyone's frogs race each other. Margaret, who's now wearing a yellow and red Becky Thatcher dress, comes along with more lemonade, and when Clemens whispers into his frog's ear, the frog jumps fast and into Margaret's bowl. Fortunately for Margaret, no lemonade lands on her. But she'd spoken too soon, as more frogs jump into the bowl of lemonade, covering her in it.

In the end, Mr. Clemens wins the frog jumping contest. This causes Gina to wonder what Clemens whispered to his frog. That evening, Clemens finds Dennis and Gina by the water, and after Gina asks him what he said to his frog, he explains that he'd set him free later, to which he does so. Gina whispers the same thing to Froggy, and Froggy jumps into the water too. Dennis then bids farewell to Willy. As Dennis, Gina and Mr. Clemens leave, Willy jumps onto Dennis' hat, because he wanted to stay with him.

After explaining that Willy knows his true home, Mr. Clemens bids farewell to Dennis and Gina, and vanishes into thin air, but not without Halley's Comet flying across the sky again. Dennis notices that Mr. Clemens left his trophy behind. But Clemens turned into the label on his trophy. Dennis then explains that Clemens is indeed Mark Twain and takes the trophy home. In the end, Dennis finishes writing to Albert about that year's Mark Twain Day with "If you have a chance at making a friend, jump at him".

Trivia

 * Mr. Clemens appearing out of nowhere and disappearing in the end with Halley's Comet is a reference to the fact Mark Twain was born in 1835, one of the years Halley's Comet passed Earth, and died when Halley's Comet passed Earth again after that in 1910. Fun fact is, the last time Halley's Comet passed Earth was in 1986, the year this episode aired, and won't pass Earth again until 2061.

Goof

 * Margaret shouldn't have taken her anger out on Dennis for her white and pink Becky Thatcher dress being ruined by lemonade, because Gina's frog was the one that jumped in her lemonade bowl.