-[birds chirping] -[theme music playing]
♪ Hilda ♪
[woman vocalizing]
-[thunder rumbling] -[rain pattering]
[booming footsteps]
[creature snarling]
[growling]
Something's out there.
-Something dangerous. -[snarling continues]
And I suspect it means to eat us.
[snarling continues]
-[roars] -[Hilda gasps]
Hilda, what are you up to in here?
Camping with Twig and Alfur.
-Alfur? The elf? He's here? -[Hilda] Yes.
He's here to file reports about the city back to the other elves.
They don't really care about Trolberg, but they love receiving reports.
They do.
What do you say we go out for a walk and see the city a bit?
But the city is so cold and dull. There's nothing to do out there.
Hilda, I insist. You haven't been out of the house in days.
[sighs] Fine.
-She'll see you later, Alfur. -Mum, he's over there.
You really need to sign the paperwork.
[scoffs]
[coughing]
Don't be so dramatic.
The truth is there's lots to do in Trolberg.
In fact, there's a big parade this evening
with floats and decorations and lights and loud music.
People in weird costumes.
I suppose that sounds cool. I've never seen a proper parade before.
Why don't we go down and watch it together?
You might find the city more fun than you think.
It still can't match the wilderness for interesting creatures.
Oh, no? I see a few interesting creatures right over there.
[gasps] Where?
-[kids laughing] -Then we can go and play knock and run.
-Huh, yeah! -Yeah, that'd be so cool!
-Oh. -Why not go make some new friends?
-[thunder rumbling] -[gasps]
Did you see that? I swear I just saw some lightning.
-But the sky's so clear. -Don't change the subject.
You're always saying how you can make friends with elves, trolls, and giants.
Compared to that, talking to some kids should be easy.
[sighs]
Hello, I'm Hilda.
I just moved here.
Want to be friends?
-Hi, Hilda. Nice to meet you. -Welcome to Trolberg.
Well, come on.
Mm?
Eh?
Oh, nobody there.
[kids laughing]
Psst, come on!
Hello, dear. What can I do for you?
[groaning]
[stammering] I just wanted to tell you, um...
tell you that your flowers are-- are very pretty.
Why, thank you!
What a lovely girl you are. [chuckles]
Okay, so, standard can rules.
No elbows, no can backs.
No! Use your feet!
[grunts]
[sheepish laugh]
So, uh, anyone going to the big parade tonight?
Parades are for little kids and goody-goody Sparrow Scouts.
[Trevor] Nice!
Check out this rock.
[gasps] I love rocks!
Here's an even better one. Look!
Oh, cool! Can I see?
Hey, that is a good one.
[birds cawing]
[gasps]
[laughing]
No! No! Stop it! Stop!
[squawks]
Yes, I win!
What's the matter with you?
Oh. Um...
What? It's just a bird.
Are you okay?
I'm fine... I think.
-Did that bird just talk? -Uh... no.
-Leave him alone. -Did anyone else hear that?
-No. -No.
-Let me see him. -No!
-Come on! -Get away!
Hmm, way to scare off the new kid.
-It talked! Seriously! -[kids laughing]
-Did you really not hear that? -[laughter continues]
[panting]
Okay, we're here.
-You did talk, right? -I did? When?
Ooh, how did it go?
It was so nice to see you making friends with some actual kids for a change
instead of some odd creature.
-Uh... -Shh!
Uh, yeah, uh, it was cool.
[raven caws]
Sign here, here, and here.
Sorry for the hassle, but now you'll be able to see Alfur.
-Hello! -[gasps]
-[sniffing] -And this is my deer fox Twig.
[whimpering]
Oh!
The raven here was attacked by some awful children,
but he seems to be all right now.
Hmm, what a tale.
This will make quite a report for the elves.
So, what's your name?
Um... I'm not sure.
Uh-huh. And how do you spend your time here in the city?
I don't know.
Yeah. I hate to say this, but he's not a great interview.
Oh, no, I've lost my memory!
This is bad. I think I'm important.
Who doesn't? [chuckles]
No, I have to be somewhere. There's something I need to do!
But I can't even remember who I is!
Who I am. Am.
Now I've forgotten grammar!
And I love grammar.
-You love grammar? -Maybe?
Okay, maybe we can figure this out.
What can you remember? Think hard.
Uh...
I see the statue of a bald, bearded man with a cape.
How oddly specific!
That should help us find it. Anything else?
-I thought I was bigger. -I've made that mistake many times.
[Hilda] We've got to find that statue and see if it jogs any memories.
In the meantime, don't talk to anyone but me and Alfur.
You never know if it could be someone unsavory, like those awful kids.
But we're your friends here. We'll stick by you.
[knocking at door]
Who's that?
-Shh! -[door opens]
Hilda, it's time for the parade.
Be right there!
[sighs]
I'm sorry. We'll go out looking first thing tomorrow, I promise.
Ugh! I forgot my wallet.
Wait right here. I'll be back in a moment.
What on earth?
-[cawing] -[grunting]
[Mum] Come here, come on!
Mum! Wait! Come back!
Sorry, but our home is no place for strange birds. Now shoo!
[grunting]
-[Twig whines] -Don't worry, I'm here to...
help?
Got my wallet. Let's go.
Maybe I should get out more.
I was thinking tomorrow I could go out and explore the city on my own.
-[horn honks] -Whoa!
It might be better if I showed you around a bit more first.
-That is called a "walk signal." -[beeps]
[raven] Great. Great.
-We're stuck out here. -Oh, chin up.
Maybe we can turn it to our advantage.
Why not find the statue ourselves?
We can fly around and look for it right now.
You're right! Hop on, little fella! Let's do it!
[grunts]
[grunting]
[shouting]
Oh, boy.
[screaming]
[grunting, groans]
[groans] I've forgotten how to fly.
I've forgotten how to fly!
The horror! The humiliation!
I'm finished, done for!
We'd better just go back to the fire escape.
-How? -I'll fly us up to--
[moaning]
We'll just have to search for the statue on foot.
I'm a bird. I don't walk!
If I did, I probably wouldn't have these little sticks for legs.
I walk, and I've got little sticks for legs.
Fair point. Let's go.
[chattering]
Ta-da! The famous Trolberg Bird Parade!
It's just about to start!
[gasps] Ooh, it's the Sparrow Scout float.
Let's go and meet them.
I was a Sparrow Scout myself, you know.
Mum, what's that bird statue about?
[Mum] That's the Great Raven.
This whole festival is in his honor.
He blesses the city by flying over the parade every year.
Uh, and, um, what if he doesn't show up?
Well, it's been a long time since that ever happened.
But when it did, the city had a very bad year.
-How bad? -Oh, there was a drought,
the harvest was ruined, that sort of thing.
-I want to say famine and plague. -Okay.
Greetings, fellow scouts! How do you do? This is my daughter Hil--
Excuse me.
[kids] Hmm.
Hilda, what are you doing?
Mum, I think the Great Raven might be at our house, and he's lost his memory!
We've got to tell him who he is.
It was not the Great Raven. You just found a raven.
-You knew I found a raven? -Yes, and I put him out.
You did what?
I had to! You can't leave random birds in the house.
He is not random! He talks!
Well, he didn't say anything to me.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no! Come on! Maybe he's still near the building.
[Hilda panting]
He's gone!
But I know what he's looking for.
The one thing he remembers is a statue of a bald, bearded man with--
With a cape?
-You know it? -It's locally famous. Let's go!
Was it a bald man with a cape or a tall man with a cape?
-No, no. It was bald! -[cat meowing]
[meowing continues]
Look at those majestic creatures! They're like giant nittens!
They're called "cats."
They appear adorable, but they're quite sinister
and love to prey upon birds.
Hey! I remember cats!
[cat yowls]
[hisses]
-Oh, no! [shouting] -[cats yowling]
[Hilda] How do you find your way around here?
Every street looks exactly alike.
You know, some people think that about rocks.
That's crazy! Every rock is different.
Well, the city is like that, too.
Take those houses, for example. Look at the doors.
That one's a nice deep red,
and that one's white with windows on it and a knocker.
And that one's rustic with a wood finish, which I quite like.
I see what you mean.
They're similar, but they've all got their own personality.
And that's just the start.
There's different chimneys and lampposts.
And different cars and plants breaking out of the pavement.
See? You're getting it already.
Uh, don't get me wrong, Trolberg's still less interesting than a rock,
but it's close.
I think we're almost at the statue. Come on!
[whimpering, panting]
-Oof! [whimpering] -[yowling]
Sorry. Pardon me.
[grunting]
-[yowling] -[Alfur] Oh, that was a close call.
Yeah, but now we're totally lost.
We'll never find that statue!
Now, now, don't lose heart.
Oh, where's your friend, the girl?
We need help.
-Helga! Helga! -It's Hilda, actually.
Uh, sorry, I'm bad with names... I think.
Actually, I have no idea whether I'm bad with names.
Zelda!
So you can talk!
-What? No, I can't. -Shh!
-[muffled squawk] -I'll show everyone I'm not crazy.
[Hilda panting]
[Hilda] He's not here. He must not have been able to find it.
Now what?
[bell tolling]
Ah! [panting]
[crowd murmuring]
Where's the Great Raven?
He's usually here by now.
See, if we want to figure out where a bird would go...
we should look at the city the way a bird does.
Ah! Good thinking.
Wow, from up here, the city is, well, kind of beautiful.
Yes, it is.
I know you miss the wilderness, Hilda, but I promise,
Trolberg is a pretty cool place to grow up, too.
I liked it, anyway.
I'm sure it'll be great.
Sorry if I've been a bit of a brat.
And I'm sorry I put the raven out.
It's okay. I should have told you about it.
But I know you don't like me making friends with creatures.
Hilda, I love that you can make friends with all manner of things.
I just think you ought to be open to befriending humans as well.
I am, but those kids just weren't a good fit.
They threw rocks at birds, Mum.
Hmm. In that case, I'm proud of you for not making friends.
[Hilda chuckles]
[Trevor] I'm telling you, I'm not crazy.
This bird talks.
Go on, show them!
What's that? Trevor's lost his marbles?
Yeah, I think you're right! [laughing, snorting]
[others laughing]
Get back here!
[grunts]
[wailing] Get off!
[grunting]
What's happening? [grunting]
[all laughing]
[shouting]
Never mind. You're all terrible!
You made me look like an idiot back there.
[Hilda] Hey, it's Trevor.
[gasps] And he's got the raven with him!
-[lens close] -No, no, no, no! I can't lose them now!
Ugh!
Oh, phew!
[coin clinks]
Uh, there they are!
He's the one who hit the raven with the rock.
He can't be trusted.
[Mum] He's headed for the Bronstad Lane Footbridge.
I know a shortcut.
[crowd murmuring]
Oh, cruddlesticks! The raven didn't come.
What's going to happen now?
I don't know, but a Sparrow Scout is prepared for anything.
Flashlight, water, matches, camping knife, and rations for three days.
Can I share your rations?
I'm afraid it's every woman for herself in these dark times.
[crowd murmuring]
[both panting]
[birds chirping]
This way!
Right behind you, Mum!
[laughing] Go, Mum!
Talk, you! Why won't you talk?
Why did you embarrass me like that?
-Why do you hate me? -This is pitiful. Just talk to him.
-Who said that? [shouts] -[screaming]
Help! Help!
[panting]
You're the Great Raven!
[panting, grunts]
Hilda!
-[whooshing] -What's that?
[both gasp]
What?
[Trevor shouts]
I remember everything!
Hilda!
I told you I was bigger.
I only take that little form when I'm being discreet.
I knew it! You're the Great Raven!
-Well, not exactly. -What?
It was all a big misunderstanding, actually.
A long, long time ago, I was passing over the city
when I landed on the statue over there.
The people thought I was the raven messenger
of the god they worshiped.
That year, there was a great harvest, and everyone prospered.
They thought it was my doing,
so the following year, they started this festival in my honor.
What about the bad year?
Ah, that was the year I missed the festival.
I was off somewhere else. Probably at home.
The bad luck had nothing to do with me,
but everyone thought they'd displeased me.
After that, I decided to make the effort to show myself every year.
So, if you're not the Great Raven, what are you?
-I'm a thunderbird. -What's a thunderbird?
Eh, just a bird for the most part.
But I can do this!
[thunder booming]
They seem to like that.
-He's here! -Oh, he's here!
The Great Raven!
-[all cheering] -The Great Raven's here!
The Great Raven!
It's the Great Raven!
[man] Restart the parade! Yahoo!
-It looks like there's a girl on him. -David, don't be absurd.
[Hilda] I just saw my mum down there.
You think you could drop me off?
Mum!
[gasps]
Hilda, you're all right!
[Great Raven] Thank you for everything, Tilda!
It's Hilda, actu-- [groans] What's the point?
Where are we going?
Someplace special.
[distant crowd chattering]
[gasps] What a lovely view!
Alfur! Glad you could join us.
Mum, he's in your bag.
I'll sign the paperwork as soon as we get home.
Thank you.
It is a great spot, though.
How did you know about this?
This is where I would come to watch the parade when I was your age.
I know it might not match the view you had up there.
Actually, it's much better.
[theme music playing]