Hilda

Help! Somebody stop this thing!

We're coming for you!

Sorry!

Oh, no! Where'd he go, boy?

Wait.

Trolls?

This doesn't make any sense.

I'll take that!

Heh. Good job, boy!

Let's go.

Oh, you're not a troll.

I'm not. But even if I was, wouldn't I be a rock right now?

It's daytime after all.

Sorry for being jumpy.

Some trolls cleared my field last night and took my goat.

But how are there trolls inside of the wall?

Which side of the wall do you think you're on, kid?

Ah. We must have followed the train tracks through

when we were chasing that thing.

Mom would kill me if she knew.

Do they normally come this close to the wall?

No, but they're everywhere lately.

As if the vittra tunnels weren't bad enough.

Hm.

Well, I'm going in to eat my dinner now.

Pardon me.

I also have a dinner engagement.

I would appreciate a prompt return to my neighborhood.

Of course.

Bye!

Hey! This isn't where I live!

Hey, sorry I'm late!

Mm-hm.

Ooh.

Your mom and the elf said we had to wait for you.

It is standard protocol.

Now we can pass the pie.

- How's David? - Huh?

You went to David's house. That's where you came from, right?

Oh, yeah, yeah.

David's fine. We just watched a video.

The pie, please.

Must have been an exciting video.

Why is there dirt on your sweater?

Yeah, we played in the garden afterward so, you know.

Uh, could you continue this discussion after you pass the pie?

Yes, of course.

Bon appétit, everyone.

Ah, finally.

Ah. Who's that?

That's it, I'm taking this to-go.

Hello?

- Sorry to interrupt dinner. - Oh, um, come on in.

This is important.

I'm Erik Ahlberg, new Head Officer of Trolberg Safety Patrol.

This is Gerda Gustav, my associate.

Associate Deputy Officer.

You can call me Deputy for short, though.

We're here regarding Hilda.

As in me?

Has she done something?

She has.

Something quite serious.

She's won our first annual Safety Patrol Student Essay Contest.

This is not a drill, ma'am. She is the official winner.

That's wonderful!

Hilda, you didn't tell me you'd entered an essay contest.

It was just a school thing.

We all had to write essays on the same topic.

"Trolls: Perils and Preparedness."

Hilda wrote a vivid description of her own encounter with a troll.

She was nearly eaten alive, but before her final escape,

she managed to pluck her sketchbook from his gaping maw!

Thrilling stuff.

Particularly the illustrations.

You never told me about that.

Of course, she didn't. Why cause you unnecessary distress?

It all turned out in the end.

Such is the life of an adventurer. Eh, Hilda?

Exactly!

We could all learn a thing or two from her.

Hm.

Hilda, as the winner of our contest, you have been selected to participate

in a ride-along with the Safety Patrol tomorrow.

We're conducting a thorough inspection of the city's troll defenses.

But tomorrow's a school day.

Principal Magnussen feels that this experience provides

educational benefits that justify a day outside the classroom.

Yes!

Subject to your approval, of course.

Mom?

Oh. All right, then.

Excellent!

Until tomorrow, Hilda.

Until tomorrow.

Congratulations!

You could have said something about that essay though.

Never mind the troll.

It wasn't really a big thing.

I mean, I don't tell you every little thing that happens to me.

Hm. Apparently, you don't.

So, my essay offered a broad historical perspective on troll safety.

- Heavily footnoted, I presume? - Absolutely.

Oh, sounds delightful!

To be fair, Hilda's piece is more of a compelling read.

Congratulations on your win.

Thanks.

I think this is the first time I've ever won anything.

So what's the big prize?

I get to go with Safety Patrol to look at the troll defenses.

Mm. I wouldn't miss school for that.

I take it back.

You're riding in that thing?

I hope so!

Well, I'm glad I never turned in my essay.

The thought of going up in one of those makes me queasy.

Oh, please. Dirigibles are perfectly safe.

Looks more reliable than a woff.

- But less cozy. - Hmm.

Hilda!

There she is.

Looking forward to seeing the city from the air?

I think so!

Erik Ahlberg, welcome to Edmund Ahlberg Elementary School.

We're so honored to have a descendant of our famous namesake

deliver an address to our students.

The honor is all mine.

I bear a striking resemblance, wouldn't you say?

Ooh!

- Eh. - And Hilda!

I hope you'll be on your best behavior today.

Bit of a wildcard, this one. Huh?

I'm sure we'll get along famously.

I'm a bit of a wildcard myself.

Let's get on with the speech, shall we?

And so, children of Trolberg,

the next time you awaken from a nightmare

in which a troll rips you from your bed,

rest assured that your nightmare shall never become a reality on my watch.

Here I stand with one of your fellow students by my side,

a girl who has felt troll breath on her cheek.

Whoo!

Together, we shall ring in a new era of security.

It begins with the sound of a single bell.

But my bell shall be followed by another, and another.

Um, Mr. Ahlberg?

I'm not sure all this bell talk is such a good idea.

Come! The skies await us.

Whoa!

Take us up, Deputy Gerda!

Ah, what a thrilling send-off!

A little loud, but thrilling, nonetheless.

Wow, you can really see how far the city stretches from up here!

As I think, even old Edmund the Trollslayer would be surprised

at how much Trolberg has grown.

Why did they build a city in the middle of troll country anyway?

Why not?

The trolls weren't doing anything special with the land.

Coming up on a bell tower at two o'clock, sir.

Will you look at that?

There's no bell in there at all!

That's a violation of the Bell Tower Act of 1892

which clearly states that all bell towers must be equipped with working bells.

And we're going to make sure that they are.

Bring us around.

We must check all the others at once!

Some kind of localized weather system.

Oh, no.

Uh, maybe we should go around it?

Nonsense. Safety waits for no one.

Engines on full!

Steady ahead.

That's the last time I let you take the scenic route.

Oh, right. You didn't seem to mind when you were...

Well, excuse me.

Ooh!

What was that?

The nerve of some people.

Get control, Deputy!

It is not responding!

That's not good.