-[birds chirping] -[theme music playing]
♪ Hilda ♪
[woman vocalizing]
Keep an eye to the sky, and count as many Woffs as you can.
Bonus points if you can tell the males from the females.
That’s easy. The males have a brown spot on them.
David, that’s just your fudge pop melting.
[exhales] Oh.
I don’t see what the big deal is.
I’ve seen the woffs migrate a thousand times before.
Hilda, we’re helping Woffologists figure out their migration patterns.
It’s one of the world’s greatest mysteries!
Let me know if you spot a rare ‘white woff’,
that’s a sign that magic is especially powerful this lunar cycle.
Are you doing witch homework, too?
Hmm. It’s not really homework.
Just some low level fortune telling.
Look! Woffs!
[woffs howling]
[bells ringing]
[woffs groaning]
Why is that bell ringing?
It’s a troll attack!
Can’t be, the sun is still up!
[bells ringing continues]
[gasps] Dodge the woffs!
Everyone stay calm!
And dodge the woffs.
[thuds]
They need our help!
[thumping]
[panting]
[grunts]
[Hilda] We have to get them back in the air!
[groaning]
[both grunts]
[grunting]
[grunts]
[exhales]
Great work, sparrows.
Now. Did anyone get a count?
[sighs]
That bell really confused those poor woffs.
Why on earth would the bell keeper ring it?
Hey, bell keeper!
-[door opens] -[dog whimpers]
-[door closes] -[yawns]
[Hilda sighs]
How did it go?
I remember counting Woffs when I was a sparrow scout.
You’d think they’d have all that figured out by now.
Eh, it was just like any other woff migration. Oh, except for when--
[grunts] Oh. Sorry, one moment.
This new commission is driving me crazy.
The reference material they gave me is way more in-depth than necessary. Ugh.
What were you saying?
Um. Just that the migration count was fun.
You know, science and stuff.
Um, Hilda? We’ve got a… [clears throat]
visitor.
Bartel!
He rode in on a pigeon.
[coos]
There is much to discuss.
The situation is dire for my people…
[Bartel] Every hour, the bell tower tolls its terrible “dong”.
-[bell ringing] -[screaming]
Livestock have stopped producing.
We can’t even finish a good braid!
That’s terrible!
I know, you don’t have to rub it in.
It’s not just the elves, that bell’s messing with the woffs.
The nisse, too.
Tontu!
You can hear the bell all the way in Nowhere Space?
Yeah, the acoustics in here are awful.
Bartel, we should do something!
Ha, ha! Oh, I knew you’d be ready for battle.
-We ride at sun-up! -Battle?
We’ve declared war on the bell tower.
We’ll take it down brick by brick.
Or die trying!
[shouts]
Whoa, whoa, whoa! I know the Bell Keeper.
I’ll just go talk to him.
Fine. But if diplomacy fails…
Combat!
Fly, Cedric, fly!
Easy girl!
[bell ringing]
Enough is enough.
Come on, Alfur.
Are you sure this is a good idea?
We’ll only be a minute.
Hilda, must we sneak out of the window?
If we use the front door it’s not sneaking out, is it?
[creaking]
Hey, I think I’m actually getting the hang of this.
[knocking]
[eerie music]
[door creaks]
Hello!
Mr. Bell Keeper?
Well, nobody’s here. I guess we better go.
[whimpers]
[creaking]
Mr. Bell Keeper?
-[creaks] -Is that you?
[gasps]
What is this thing?
-Who’s there? -[gasps]
It’s only me! I’m--
That weird little girl who came here with Ahlberg
on inspection day. What are you doing here?
I came to see what the emergency is. Why do you keep ringing that bell?
I’m not the one ringing it.
But it’s been ringing all day.
It’s causing everyone a lot of trouble and, are you even listening?
[shushes] Look.
[whimpers]
Whoa.
-[thumps] -Go! Get out of here!
What are you doing?
They aren’t bothering anyone! They were just--
It’s for their own good. Here.
Trust me, you’re going to want to put those on.
[ticking]
[whirrs]
[bell ringing]
[crying]
[growls]
-[bell continues ringing] -Can’t you stop it?
This bell is completely automated now.
It rings on the hour, every hour.
“Mechanical Bellkeeper”?
New technology. Courtesy of Safety Patrol.
Come on. [sighs]
I guess I can take my break a few minutes early.
[radio playing on the background]
What’s this?
Just some notes on the woff migration patterns.
-You’ve figured them out? -Partly.
I had to. Woffs kept Getting caught in my laundry line.
[chuckles]
Used to be an army of bell keepers.
No, it's just me. I've manned these towers for years.
Never once had to ring a bell. It’s a big wall. No troll is getting over it.
So why ring this bell now?
It’s confusing the woffs, bothering the elves, distracting the nisse…
It’s Ahlberg's idea.
He thinks more bell-ringing will keep the city safer.
But it won’t. It’s just causing chaos!
And it’s about to get a lot worse. This one's just a test.
Ahlberg’s installed “mechanical bellkeepers”
in every belltower in the city.
What?
The whole system goes live in a few days
at some big ceremony. Soon, every bell in Trolberg will be ringing,
all day, every day.
That's ridiculous! Can’t you turn them off?
Nothing i can do from here.
The bells will all be controlled from a central tower.
[sighs] I'm keeping an eye on it
for a few weeks before I'm phased out.
If I'm lucky, they'll hire me for bell maintenance.
We can stop this. We’ve got to!
[sighs] Give up, kid.
[bell keeper] It’s no use.
I’ve gotta get back to work.
Well, Bartel will be pleased.
Seems combat is the only option.
[Hilda] Hmm, maybe. But what good are a handful of elves
against every bell tower in Trolberg?
-[bell ringing] -[shrieking]
[growls]
[snoring]
Whoa. I’ll just borrow this.
-[Twig yelps] -[sighs]
Twig, I think I’m going to need your help.
Actually…
[upbeat music]
[clears throat] Thanks for coming, everybody…
You’ve prepared a plan for all-out attack?
Not quite. So, as you may have heard,
the new mechanical bellkeeper system will be activated at a big ceremony tomorrow.
That means every bell in Trolberg, ringing all at once…
-[whimpers] -Every bell?
An outrage!
But according to these plans, we can stop it from happening. Frida?
I’ve identified a weak point in the system.
All the mechanical bellkeepers are controlled from The central belltower.
If we sneak into that tower, and cut this one particular wire…
Poof… the whole system goes down.
[David] Sneak in? But the tower’s crawling with Safety Patrol.
[Hilda] And that’s why we do it during the ceremony tomorrow,
when everybody’s listening to Erik Ahlberg’s speech.
[Tontu] Ooh, smart plan.
[Hilda] David, you’ll be the lookout.
I’m great at looking at things.
Bartel, do you think you and the lost clan can distract any guards that stay behind?
Aye. My pigeon riders will attack from the air
while Agnes leads a ground assault.
[chuckles] Those guards won’t know what hit them.
Because you’ll be invisible. I like it!
Ha! Looks like we elves are going to battle after all!
[gulps] We…?
Tontu will use Nowhere Space to get me and Frida into the tower…
…and then I’ll use a finding spell to, uh,
find the right wire.
Once Frida’s done her spell, I’ll snip the wire, and then…
no more mechanical bellkeepers!
[all cheering]
[whimpers]
Twig, I’ll need you with me. For protection.
Everybody in?
[coos]
Wait. In films, operations like this always have a codename.
How about Operation Deerfox.
Thunder. Team.
Alright on three. One. Two.
[all] Operation Deerfox Thunder Team!
[festive music]
I’m surprised you wanted to come. I thought you hated the bells?
I do but we just had to see all your posters on display.
I’m a bit sick of looking at them to be honest.
But… it’s a nice day. And we’ve got sandwiches.
Let’s call it a picnic, yeah?
[cheering]
Thank you! Yes, yes,
-thank you. -[cheering]
Citizens of Trolberg!
Thank you for joining us on this momentous day,
perhaps the most momentous day since my illustrious ancestor,
Edmund “The Trollslayer“ Ahlberg, erected our very first bell tower.
Oh, dear. This could take a while. Sandwich?
Hilda, where are you going? The ceremony’s just starting.
I’ve, er, got to use the bathroom.
Sorry, must be all that peppermint iced tea.
Be right back!
[grumbles] She hasn't even touched
her peppermint tea.
-[creaking] -[thuds]
Bugman, this is Blue and Badges. Are the elves in position? Over.
[spits]
The pigeons are in the coop. Bartel and Agnes look ready for battle.
Alfur… not so much. Over.
-And where’s Hairball? -Right here.
Uh, can I get a different codename? I was thinking Night Wolf.
No. That would imperil the entire operation.
Okay, are we ready to do this?
-[both] Ready. -[David over radio] Ready.
Bugman, give the signal. Over.
-Attack! -[screams]
[both groaning]
[woosh]
-Owww! -Ooof! Who’s doing that?!
Uh, combat!
-[grunts] -Ooh, sorry!
Bugman, chirp if anything changes. Over.
Badges, Hairball, let’s go!
Right this way…
-[grunting] -Ow, ow, ow!
-Ow. -[whimpers]
[panting]
You’re on your own from here.
Night Wolf away.
[over the walkie] Requesting backup. We’re under attack!
[sighs]
Bugman, we’re inside. How’s it looking out there? Over.
My mother once said to me…
The big cheese is still talking… And talking…
Roger that. Badges, you’re up!
[exhales] [chanting indistinctly]
I wasn’t expecting so many wires.
Frida. You can do this.
Once more, with vigor!
[chanting indistinctly]
There! That’s the one.
Nice work, Frida.
Time to finish the job.
Goodbye, mechanical bellkeepers!
[alarm rings]
[beeping]
[both] Yes!
And now, the Trolberg anthem.
♪ Here in old Trolberg Meet the snowy mountain peaks ♪
♪ Together we stay safe With our friends and family. ♪
♪ Trolberg, Trolberg.♪
Offline? Engaging back-up system…
-[beeps] -Such sweet redundancy.
-[both gasp] -Backup system?
That wasn’t part of the plan!
Um, time for a new plan, then.
Any ideas, Badges?
Uh, there might be a way to disable the bells from the main control panel…
at the top of the tower!
I’ll take care of it. If anyone tries to come up, distract them!
Got it!
[upbeat music]
Now, it is my great pleasure
to unveil a new means of keeping our fair city safe…
Uh, Blue? I can’t quite tell but I think the big cheese is almost done talking.
Hurry! Over.
There’s the control panel…
[sighs] Locked!
[grunting]
[growling]
What is it, Twig? Frida?
-[gasps] -Hilda.
This isn’t what it looks like.
[David over walkie] Uh, Blue… Blue.
-We were just trying to-- -[keys clank]
-What are you do-- -[shushes]
-Quickly now. -You’re… you’re helping us?
We don’t have much time. That Ahlberg is a windbag but even he can’t talk forever.
The time has come. With the flip of one little switch, by one mighty finger,
the bells of Trolberg will all ring out
with one thunderous voice!
[sighs] Where’s Hilda?
She’s missing the whole thing!
Gerda, is the system primed?
-[clicking] -[beeps]
Yes, sir.
[alarm wails]
[beeping]
Come on, how do we stop it?
We’re too late. Once the system’s been primed, you can’t turn it off.
When Ahlberg flips that switch.
The bells will all ring, louder than ever before!
Cranking up the volume to fry the system. I like it.
I hope this works…
Let the bells ring!
[whirs]
[bell ringing loudly]
[both groan]
[bell continues ringing]
Glorious! Just glorious!
[bell continues ringing]
[whirring]
Sir! The bells! They are ringing too loud!
Too loud? Nonsense!
It’s working!
[electricity crackling]
Everybody stay calm! A minor malfunction.
-Get down! -What?
-[clangs] -Get down!
-[loud thuds] -[clanking]
[crowd panicking]
-[thuds] -[clattering]
Uh oh.
[loud thud]
[whirrs]
[birds chirping]
[sighs]
Hear that?
[exhales] Sounds lovely.
It sure does.
-Hilda! -Mom!
I was so worried! Where were you?
[gasps] [whimpering]
I… I ran into some friends.
Oh, it doesn’t matter. I’m just glad you’re safe.
Tomorrow, we’re having a normal picnic. Just the two of us.
-[grunting] -[Ahlberg] Hilda! Are you there, Hilda?
♪ All that I want is A pair of wings to fly ♪
♪ Into the blue of the wide open sky ♪
♪ Show me your scars ♪
-[cheering] -♪ I'll show you mine ♪
♪ Perched around the city On a pair of power lines ♪
♪ On clouds I'll sing and dance ♪
♪ I just might fall But I'll take that chance ♪
[Safety Patrol] Now that the system is down, Ahlberg wants every bell tested.
Even the really old ones. Good to go?
[clanks]