02x10 - Chapter 10: The Yule Lads

[bunniefuu]

[suspenseful music]

[sniffing]

[birds chirping]

[theme music]

Hilda ♪

[tranquil music]

I still don't totally understand

this Trolberg Winter Festival.

So we're going to the market

to sell broth for the Sparrow Scouts.

[David] That's right.

Where there's a special tree.

The Sonstansil Tree.

It only blooms at night. It's very rare.

So when it does, we have a huge party.

You're going to love it, Hilda.

But the more important part

is the gift
-sharing.

We get pretty good tips

selling the Sparrow Scout veggie broth,

so you can get

your mom something really cool.

Like a crossbow.


- [imitating crossbow firing]


- [laughs]

Maybe not that

but I would like find a nice gift for Mom.

I know I've been

trying her patience lately.

Is that part

of the Winter Festival as well?

Hmm. Not that I know of.

I'm certain

that house wasn't there yesterday.


- We should take a look.


- But the broth! And the tips!

Oh…

[tense music]

[laughter]

It sounds like a party.

One we're not invited to, Hilda.

If they didn't want us to come in,

they should have locked the door.


- Thirty
-one, thirty
-two, thirty
-three…


- Thirty
-one, thirty
-two, thirty
-three…

[laughing]

[gasps]

We've been made, lads. Scatter!

[tense music]

Don't worry, we mean you no harm.

We heard a party

and we wanted to ask you

if you were hungry.

We're selling broth.

[coughs]

We want to ask you something.

Are you naughty kids?


- No.


- No.


- I don't think so.


- Told you.

You shouldn't sneak up on people…


- Sorry, force of habit.


- [screams]

We've never noticed this house before.

Who are you guys?

I'm Kertasnikir but you can call me Kert.

These grumpy fellas and I

are the 13 Yule Lads.

But there's only seven of you.

We work in shifts.

What sort of work?

We find kids that are…

naughty.

What do you want with naughty kids?

What's with all the questions?

[chuckles]

She's a naturally curious person.

To a fault…

It's fine, Pvorusleikir.

They're good kids, we can tell them.

Not until they're been triple
-checked.

[Ketkrokur] Have you ever thrown rocks

and/or heavy sticks

at your neighbor's window?

[screams]

Or swiped a shilling

from your mom's purse?

Or you ever whisper "I hate you"

in the ear

of your grandma's tallest sheep?

That's oddly specific.

[blows]

But no.

[groans]

I don't think

we've done any of those things.

Okay, so here's the story…

But you did bring

a troll rock into the city, Hilda.

[all gasp]

David, that was you.

Oh, yeah.

All worked out in the end though.

No harm done.

[groans]

Anyway, we're in charge

of making sure kids get candy

on the morning

after the Sonstansil Tree blooms.

But there's not enough candy

for every child

so we skip the ones who are naughty.

Oh, thank goodness.

If you're good kids like you say,

then how about you prove it

by spotting the naughty kids for us?

I don't know.

I don't feel right

judging people like that.

[clear throats]

Hilda?

I'm sorry, but we're going to be late.

We're on our way

to the Trolberg Winter Festival.

Would you like to come along?

Will there be naughty kids?

All the kids in Trolberg will be there

but I can't promise any are naughty.

But I can promise

there will be loads of amazing food!

[all gasp]

Here we go.

[laughing]

[horn blares]

Oops. Sorry boys, shift change.


- Sorry.


- [groaning]

Why don't you get to rest like the others?

Oh, I was the first lad.

It's kind of like

being the oldest brother.

Got to look out for the young ones.

[chuckles]

Hey!

Knock it off, lads, we've got work to do.

Split up and look

for any naughties, ne'er
-do
-wells,

and any no good nicks nicking knickknacks.

Wow. Beautiful. My mom would love this.

Oh, dear.

Tips, remember?


- [chuckles]


- Scram, you little rat!

Steer clear of that blue
-haired girl,

she's a witch in sheep's clothing.

I'm not afraid of her.


- Aw!


- You ought to be!

[laughing]

[scoffs]

We'll see who's afraid.

Ba
-ba.

[screeching]

[blabbering]

[thumping]

[whimpers]

[David] Roll up! Roll up!

Get your hot veggie broth here!

Hot broth! The secret ingredient is…

[shushes]

I was going to say love.

Oh, sorry.


- Hmm…


- [clanking]

Look, Hilda!

There's plenty here

for your mom's present.

That's the power

of the Sparrow Scout vegetable broth.

Careful, Twig, it's still hot.

[groans]

No luck with the naughties?

Not a one. They hide their tracks well.

We might have to do double shift, lads.

[all groan]

You're not going to finish this, are you?

Uh… No?

[retches]

Just between you and me,

I think your candle's gone bad.

Hmm. Would you like to try

some vegetable broth instead?

I don't know.

I don't usually trust food

that isn't candle
-based.

Just try it. It's on me.

[slurping, gasps]

Oh, my, my, my! That is delightful.

It's splendifurous,

it's fabby
-dabby
-do
-so.

What's in it?


- Love.


- No, no, seriously.

Chopped garlic, a pinch…


- David!


- David!

Secret recipe, eh? Fair enough.

[giggles]

We'll take 12 bowls, 6 to go.

Great. That'll be 22.50.

Oh, well, the thing about that is…

Uh, I also don't have anything

in my boots.

Or my hat.

The lining of my coat is devoid of cash.


- [sighs]


- And what's this behind your ear?

Nothing.

Fine. We'll give it to you.

Oh, very kind of you.

Naughties, you are not.

But, Hilda!

We have all day tomorrow

to make more tips.

Careful, it's hot.


- Ow!


- Aw!

I landed it right in the bowl!


- [groaning]


- [grunting]

Get down! We're under attack!

If you want naughty, you've just got it.

Trevor's the worst.

Is that so?

Maybe not the worst,

but he does a lot of mean things.


- [Frida] Oh, no!


- The broth!

Case in point.

He must get it from his mom.

She's Queen Naughty.


- Adults can be naughty?


- Why not?


- Sometimes.


- Absolutely.

This is the best news I've heard in years!

Well, he was a great help.

We've got to stand up to Trevor

or he'll never give us peace.

Stop it, Trevor!

[Trevor] Oh, we're the Sparrow Scouts.

Come buy our boring broth

made of dirty roots and mold.

Hey! Mushrooms are a fungus, not a mold!


- [thuds]


- Ugh.

I've been hit!

[groaning]

Perhaps that was not the best plan.

[Kert] Fire away!

Surprise!

Run for it!


- [groaning]


- [grunting]

[boy] Over here!

[grunting]

[Kert] You naughty savages.

Looks like the naughty kids

get snowballs instead of candy.

Serves them right.

[sighs]

So much for getting Mom's present.

Hilda, can you please stop

leaving used tea bags on the counter?

They stain the tile.

Sorry, Mom. Won't happen again.

That's what you said last time.

[sighs] She's right, you know.

What? That it stains the tile?

That you leave a mess.

Or messes. Plural.

You don't see me

leaving stuff laying around.

That's because you take everything.

At least no one has to clean up after him.

I get so tired of watching

your poor mom scrub the counters

that I have to take a nap.

[Mom] Good night, Hilda.

Good night, Mom.

I'm sorry about

all the mess around the house.

I'll be better about

cleaning up after myself. Really.

That's good.

Because if you aren't, Gryla will get you.

Who?

I'm only joking.

It's an old winter tale about an ogre

who comes after naughty children

on the night

the Sonstansil Tree lights up.

Do you think I'm naughty?

Of course not, sweetheart.

You're a good girl.

Sure, you do the wrong thing sometimes,

but we all do.

That doesn't make us bad people.

It just makes us people.

Hmm. So tell me more

about this Gryla ogre.

She's an ogress of sorts.

No one knows exactly where she lives

and few have ever seen her face,

but legend says

she sniffs out naughty children

and she turns them into stew.

That's terrifying!

Tell me more.

It's late.

But I'll find my old book of winter tales

and show you tomorrow.

Get some sleep.

[door opens, closes]

[snoring]

[Trevor screaming]

[gasps]

Trevor?

What have I told you about

screaming in the middle of the night?

[gasps, screaming]

[whistling]

Aha! See?

You left a tea bag on the counter too.


- That's a double standard.


- Hilda, me doing it once isn't the same

as you doing it dozens of times.


- Dozens?


- Hundreds, even.

According to my ledger.

[clicks tongue, grunts]

Long night?

[slurps]

They're all long.

The other lads are still sleeping.

Bums, they are.

Hey. Trevor's mom's stall is closed.

[Hilda] Hmm… That's odd.

I guess that means Trevor won't be here

to pelt us with snowballs again.

Hey, our tips. Hilda!

There might be

enough in here for that gift.

Oh, you don't have to buy me anything.

It's for my mom.

I want to give her something nice

even though she irks me sometimes.

Like this morning…

Oh. She's naughty?

It more that she gets mad at me

for doing the same things

she does sometimes.

It's confusing, but it's not…

Greetings, my fellow Trolbergians.

According to our latest

gardening calculations,

we expect a full bloom

within the next 24 hours.

We'll see you all back here for the party.


- Hooray!


- [cheering]

I'm so excited

to see all those flowers bloom.

There you go.

Hmm. Almost enough for that snow globe.

Where did Kert go off to?

[cracking]

[explodes]

[foreboding music]


- What's this?


- [Hilda] It's a present for Mom.

I was hoping

to have enough to get her the real thing

but, if not, this will have to do.

I'm sure she'll love it either way.

[Mom] Hilda, darling,

I found that story about Gryla for you.

Be out in a minute, Mom!

Help me hide this.


- [groaning]


- [rumbling]

Mom? Mom, is everything okay?

Mom?

Oh, no!

[Hilda] Mom?

[gasps]

She wouldn't just leave.

What is it, Twig?

Is that Kertasnikir?

"According to legend,

the Yule Lads work for the ogress Gryla.

[Hilda] All year long,

they work to prepare

for when she awakes

from her seasons
-long slumber.

In order to satisfy her hunger,

and not become the meal themselves,

they wait until just before she wakes

to gather

the main ingredient for her grand feast.

Naughty children."

[gasps]

Kert was lying!

And now he's got my mom

and probably Trevor too.

Oh, no, no, this is all my fault.

You know these lads?

Yes. And I think I know

where we can find them.

Tontu, we need to hurry.

We'll get Frida and David on the way.

Oh, you promised we wouldn't use

the Nowhere Space for everyday travel.

Is it every day that my mom

would be captured by a bunch of hooligans

so she can be fed to an ogre?

It's not far from an average day.

Well, I'll, um… I'll stay here and,

you know, check for stray tea bags.

[Mom] Let me go! Let me go!

Well done, lads. This should be enough.

We even made it with an hour to spare!

[all cheering]

Not so fast, Kertasnikir.

Or should I call you "Candle
-Snatcher"?

[gasps]

Me? A candle snatcher?

Why, that's just…

[laughs]

That's just… That…

Okay, fine. You got me.

I am, in fact, naughty.

[all gasping]

You're not innocent either,

Pvorusleikir, Ketkrokur,

or Stekkjarsaur, the sheep
-harasser.

The sheep started it!

Come on, lads, the gig's up.

Gryla caught me nicking candles

and said she was going to eat me for it.

"Bit harsh", I said.

She disagreed and told me

naughty lads belonged in a stew pot.

So I said, "I'll find you

two naughty lads if you spare me."

Then she tried

to cook
-up me and Ketkrokur here

but we promised her

four lads if she spared us.

And so on, and so on,

but she never let anyone of us go.

Greedy one, that Gryla is.

She finally got wise

to the scheme and ate lads 14 through 21.

Been using us

as her eyes and ears ever since.

But let's get one thing straight,

we take no pride in our work.

We're bound to it,

cursed by our own naughtiness.

None of you are naughty.

You just did some naughty things

like stuffing my mother in a sack.

But you can make them right

and I've got an idea how.

The veggie broth?

You liked it well enough, right?

Why shouldn't Gryla?

[indistinct chatter]

[all grunt]

We like you and we like your broth,

so we'll offer you a deal.

Everyone will be safely returned

to their homes if…

you show us how to make it.

No deal!

We are not revealing

the secret ingredient.

No, David, this situation is different.

How come it's okay now?

You got yourself a deal.

[whistling]

Erik, you've been a good boy this year ♪

[whistling]

[growling]

[panting]

[barking]

[light music]

[inaudible]

Ugh.

[snoring]

[calm music]

Everybody ready?

She's coming!


- [rustling]


- [growling]

[thumping]

[ominous music]

[gasping]

It worked!

[gasps]

[Frida, David] Wow.

[light music]

[gasps]

The tree! Look!

[man] Oh, it's beautiful.

[indistinct chatter]

You didn't tell me that they glow.

[Hilda] They're beautiful.

[gasps]

Hilda? Hilda, where are you?

[Tontu] She's safe

at the bloom with David and Frida.


- [panting]


- [slurps]

[light music]

[Mom] Hilda! Over here!

Mom!

I'm sorry, I don't have a…

Hilda. You forgot this.

I used my tips. You owe me so much candy.

Thank you.

Happy Sonstansil, Mom.

Oh, Hilda.

It's beautiful.

[light music]

[snoring]

[closing theme music]