Disney Before the Story

  Copyright © 2020 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Published by Disney Press, an imprint of Disney Book Group. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. For information address Disney Press, 1200 Grand Central Avenue, Glendale, California 91201.

  ISBN 978-1-368-06484-2

  For more Disney Press fun, visit www.disneybooks.com

  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Chapter 1: The Sommerhus

  Chapter 2: A Walk in the Woods

  Chapter 3: Building the Fort

  Chapter 4: Lessons for Elsa

  Chapter 5: Elsa’s Mistake

  Chapter 6: The Snow Hare

  Chapter 7: The Perfect Summer Night

  Chapter 8: Chasing Anna

  Chapter 9: A Rescue

  Chapter 10: A New Day

  Preview of Anna Finds a Friend

  As the royal carriage made its way past rows of tall pines, Elsa felt far from home. All she could hear was the steady clomp, clomp of the white horses’ hooves and the call of distant birds. Oh, yes, and the voice of her little sister, Anna. “Are we there yet?” Anna said every few minutes. “Are we almost there?”

  It was summertime, and Elsa’s family were making their annual trip to the Sommerhus, a quaint cottage in a small ­village just outside the Arendelle forest. Every summer, they left the castle behind and stayed a few weeks alone at the cottage, without castle staff or royal responsibilities.

  Back home in Arendelle, Elsa spent every day preparing for the distant future when she would become queen. She spent hours with the castle governess in the schoolroom, reviewing the names of past rulers and going over royal etiquette. At the Sommerhus, though, she did not have to think about her future at all. While they were away, they could be just a normal family and Elsa could be just a normal girl.

  Elsa’s mother, Queen Iduna, looked out the window as the carriage passed another row of trees outside. She breathed in deeply and said, “Don’t you love the smell of cedar?”

  “I think we’re almost there!” Anna cried. She twisted toward the carriage window and pointed at a path paved with pebbles. “Yes, this is where we turn!”

  Elsa’s father, King Agnarr, extended his arm to make sure Anna didn’t tumble out the window. “It’s still a little farther,” he said. “Just be patient—we’ll be there in no time.”

  Catching her sister’s eye, Elsa smiled. Who could be patient when they were getting so close?

  Her mind raced, thinking about everything their trip would hold. Elsa loved the feeling of being alone with her family at the edge of the forest. She looked forward to all their summer traditions—playing games and making music and hiking through the hills. There would be new adventures, too, of course, and Elsa could only wonder what they would be.

  The carriage pitched forward as it went over a bump in the road. Suddenly, Elsa knew just where they were. “This is it!” she said, leaning across the carriage to hug her sister as the road wound past a wooden stave church in a tiny village. She knew every inch of the rest of the way.

  They went around another bend, moving through the town square and approaching a cobblestone path. At the end of the road, Elsa could see their cheerful cottage, with its sturdy log walls and bright red trim. The window boxes were planted with pink and white flowers, and the grass was freshly cut. The Sommerhus was just as friendly and welcoming as Elsa remembered it.

  As soon as the carriage stopped, the girls leaped out and ran to the heavy front door. Anna pushed and pushed, but she couldn’t get it open until Elsa stepped up beside her to lend an extra hand. “One, two, three!” the sisters counted. And the door to their summer adventures swung wide open.

  Elsa stepped into the cottage and circled around, taking it all in.

  First she saw the long wooden table where her family would gather for their meals. Behind it was a grandfather clock that had belonged to Elsa’s own grand­father and the large fireplace that warmed the ­cottage when the nights grew cool. In every corner, there were stacks of favorite books and games. On a narrow shelf near the ceiling were the beautiful plates Elsa’s mother had collected on her travels as queen. And hanging on the wall were the fiddles her father played in the evening. Everything was just as she remembered.

  Elsa grabbed Anna by the hand and pulled her up the stairs, taking them two at a time. “Let’s go see our room!” she said.

  At the cottage, Anna and Elsa shared a room under the eaves. It was small and dark, and some nights they could hear the sound of raindrops pounding against the roof. This was where Elsa had her happiest dreams.

  Elsa walked into the room and stretched out on her bed. On the other side of the room, Anna bounced on her mattress. “Let’s go exploring!” she said.

  But Elsa was not ready to explore. She wanted to soak in the feeling of being inside the Sommerhus at last. Fortunately, she knew something that would keep Anna occupied for a little while. “Not yet,” she said. “But look at this.”

  On Elsa’s side of the room was a small wooden trunk with pink trim. She hopped off her bed, crouched, and lifted the lid, its hinges squeaking.

  Inside the trunk were the toys the girls played with only at the Sommerhus. Eight-year-old Elsa had nearly outgrown the building blocks and spinning tops, but there were some toys she would never get too old for. Tucked carefully at the bottom of the trunk, covered with soft blankets, was a pair of well-loved dolls. Elsa lifted one out as if it was an old friend. The doll had blond braids and bright blue eyes. Elsa hugged it and said, “Good to see you, Hildy!”

  “Hanna! Hanna!” Anna cried, edging her sister out of the way. She pulled the other doll from the trunk and lifted it into the air. “We’re back!” This doll had red hair the same shade as Anna’s. Anna lifted Hildy from Elsa’s arms. In no time, she was changing both dolls into their summer dresses.

  Returning to her bed and lying back on her pillow, Elsa sighed and smiled.

  Elsa would miss some things about the castle while they were gone, of course, but the Sommerhus felt like home to her. Not only was it the place she got to spend time with her family and take a break from her lessons, but it was where she could be herself—her whole self. At the Sommerhus, she didn’t have to hide her magic.

  Since she’d been there last, Elsa had learned more about her astonishing power. Whenever she wanted, she could create ice and snow. Well . . . sort of. Until she knew how to use her power properly, she had to keep it out of sight. At the Sommerhus, no one outside the family would see her—and no one would stop her—so she could test the limits of her magic.

  “After you finish unpacking, who’s ready for a walk to the fjord?” Queen Iduna called from downstairs. The sisters were putting their clothes and bags away. The dolls, Hildy and Hanna, waited patiently on the windowsill.

  “We’re ready right now!” Elsa called back. The sisters hurried down the steps to join their mother.

  The sky was blue and the sun bright as Anna and Elsa followed their parents into the afternoon. A trip to the sparkling fjord was always a highlight of the family’s first day away from home.

  Queen Iduna led the way behind the cottage and to a hidden path near the edge of the forest. The path wove around some tall trees, and soon the cottage was out of sight. The family was alone with the wonders of nature.

  Elsa wondered what people in Arendelle would say if they could see their queen right then. Her mother was practically skipping along the path. “I can’t wait to put my toes in the water,” she said. Elsa giggled. Her mother sounded like A
nna.

  Her father was watching the sky intently. “Could that be a hawk?” he wondered aloud, pointing at something as it swooped overhead. Not many people knew that the king had a special interest in birds.

  The grassy path gave way to a rougher trail studded with stones, leading up a gentle incline. As the family climbed higher, there were some larger rocks in their way. Anna and Elsa raced around them, and soon the girls were ahead of their parents.

  “Don’t touch the ground!” Anna dared Elsa. This was one of their favorite games. Instead of stepping directly on the trail, the girls hopped from stone to stone. If there were no stones, they walked on roots or tree stumps or clumps of leaves—anything to avoid the ground.

  Anna reached a stretch of trail with ­nothing else to step on. The only way to avoid the ground was to swing from a tree branch like a monkey.

  When Elsa got to that same part of the trail, she decided to do something else. Sure, she could swing like a monkey . . . or she could avoid the ground in her own way.

  Elsa looked around to make sure no one outside her family was around. Then she stretched out her hands and waved them over the path. She could feel her magic building, but she never quite knew what was about to happen. Would it work? Elsa held her breath. But in no time, the ground was covered by a thin sheet of ice about as long as she was tall, and Elsa could walk right on it. Success!

  Anna looked back and saw the ice glinting in a patch of sunlight. “No fair!” she said. “That’s against the rules!” But Anna also saw the possibility for fun. She raced toward Elsa and took a flying leap onto the ice, gliding from one end to the other.

  “Too bad I don’t have my ice skates,” Anna said. There wasn’t enough ice for skating, but as Elsa slid to the edge of the ice and continued on, she wondered if she could make more next time.

  By the time their parents came up the trail, the thin layer of ice had melted to a trickle in the heat and the girls had scrambled even farther ahead. Elsa was near the top of the hill when she heard her mother’s voice through the trees.

  “Anna! Elsa!” she called.

  Soon her father chimed in. “Wherever you are, stop and wait for us!”

  It was only a few minutes before King Agnarr and Queen Iduna reached their daughters, but the king seemed worried. “Please don’t get too far ahead,” he said. “It’s important that we all stay together for safety’s sake.”

  Just ahead, the trail ended at a bluff. The whole family walked together until they reached the very best view in the kingdom. From the top of the bluff, they could see a wide vista of shining blue water, with ­snow-covered mountains in the distance. The fjord was dotted with colorful boats and a few rocky islands covered in pine. Elsa took a deep breath. There was no place she would rather be.

  The queen scrambled down the bluff toward the water and the sandy shore, calling “Follow me!” It was tradition for the girls and their mother to wade in the water before the end of their first day at the Sommerhus.

  Quickly, the three of them took off their shoes and dipped in their feet. “Too cold!” said Anna, running away from the water as soon as she felt its bite. Elsa waded in up to her ankles. She didn’t mind the chill one bit.

  After the dip in the water, Elsa and Anna made sand angels near the shore until it was time to go back to the cottage. Their mother led the way down the trail but stopped short. “Oh, how wonderful!” she cried, crouching in front of a bush. “Girls, come and see!” She plucked fresh strawberries off the bush and dropped them into her daughters’ outstretched hands. “Nature feeds our spirits and our bodies,” she told Elsa and Anna.

  “Look, there are more!” Elsa said, venturing away from the trail and into the forest. She could see many more strawberry bushes growing in the shadows.

  But her father put a hand on her elbow. “Remember, Elsa. We need to stay together. There could be dangers hidden in the forest.”

  Elsa stepped back so as not to worry her father. With her power, though, came a growing confidence. Whatever dangers came her way, she would always have a means to face them.

  That night, Elsa and Anna pushed their beds next to each other and curled up together under one big blanket. Elsa loved the cozy feeling of sleeping next to her sister. The only tricky part was the morning. At the castle, Anna could sleep all day if their parents let her. But at the Sommerhus, no matter how late she went to bed, Anna always woke up early. She was too excited to stay asleep!

  So it was no surprise when Anna started tugging Elsa’s arm at the faintest sign of dawn the next day. “Elsa!” she whispered. “Time to get up!”

  Elsa pulled a pillow over her eyes and shrank beneath the blanket. Then she felt a gust of cold air as Anna peeled the blanket off her legs.

  “Want to play?” Anna asked. “I have a great idea!”

  Elsa sat up and hit her head on the low ceiling. “It’s too early!” she said, rubbing her head.

  “But we have to make a fort!” Anna explained. “I have it all figured out. I just need you to help me set it up.”

  “What do we need a fort for?” Elsa asked, yawning.

  “It’s for Hildy and Hanna!” Anna said. “They need a Sommerhus of their own.”

  Elsa fell back on the bed. It was impossible to say no to Anna, because she would continue to ask and ask until she got what she wanted. The first ray of sunshine pierced the room as Elsa sat up again, blinking. “Where do you think we should put it?”

  Anna grinned and replied, “Right here.” She patted the bed and gestured to a large blanket she had found that they could use for the fort’s roof.

  Elsa dragged some chairs over and placed them on either side of the two twin beds. Anna draped the blanket on top of them, and for a minute it was perfect—until the blanket began to sag. “I think we need to tie the blanket to the chairs,” Elsa said. “That way it will stay put.”

  The girls knotted the blanket to the chairs with hair ribbons and pulled it tight, but the knots had a way of loosening after a few minutes. Could Elsa use her magic to fix this problem? After a few moments of intense concentration, she conjured up some bits of ice and froze the blanket to the chairs. Problem solved—at least until the ice melted.

  “Watch out,” Anna cautioned as she carried a pile of pillows across the room. From inside the fort, Elsa watched Anna stagger toward her, pillows teetering in her arms. They fell just as she reached the fort. Elsa crawled out, giggling, and took the pillows into the fort one by one.

  “Hanna and Hildy are going to love it in here!” Elsa told her sister. But the fort wasn’t only for the dolls, Elsa knew. She and Anna were going to love it in there, too. And the best part was that they had all day to play.

  The only thing that could drag them out of the fort was the sound of their father’s voice downstairs. “Time for breakfast!” he called.

  By the time Elsa had gotten to her feet, Anna was already halfway down the stairs. Back home in Arendelle, King Agnarr never made breakfast. On their summer trip, though, he made pancakes every morning, and he had promised their favorite: pancakes with chocolate.

  The long table was set with a purple tablecloth and a vase of wildflowers from their walk the day before. There was a pitcher of cold milk and a bottle of syrup that glowed like gold. Best of all, Elsa thought, one of her mother’s special plates sat at each place.

  Usually the plates were kept on a shelf, but they came out for important occasions, like their first breakfast together at the Sommerhus. Each plate was a memento from their parents’ travels around the kingdom.

  Elsa sat at the table. She picked up one of her favorite plates—painted with a crocus—and flopped a pancake on top.

  No one could see the design on Anna’s plate because pancakes covered every inch. They were piled high and overflowing off the edge, and Anna splashed syrup over them with such force that drops flew across the table. When she poured her milk, some of it missed the glass and ended up on the floor.

  “Elsa,” her mother caut
ioned. Startled, Elsa looked up. Had her mother mixed up the sisters? Sometimes she did that, calling one by the other’s name. In spite of Anna’s mess, though, the queen was looking at her.

  “Remember where to leave your knife after you cut your pancakes,” her mother said. “It should rest on the side of your plate, not on the table.”

  Elsa looked at Anna, who was picking up a pancake with her fingers. Did her mother even notice?

  “A future queen must watch her manners,” Queen Iduna said. “That will be our project for today.”

  “We already have a project for today,” Anna announced. “Wait until you see our fort.”

  Queen Iduna shook her head. “I’m afraid things will be a little different this year,” she said. “Now that Elsa is getting older, we are going to keep up her lessons while we’re here.”

  Elsa swallowed her last bite, though the pancake didn’t taste quite as sweet anymore. This isn’t fair! she thought. Their summer trip was the only time she didn’t have to think about becoming queen.

  What was the point of a trip with her family, Elsa wondered, if she would have to sit through all the same lessons she had at home? She wouldn’t get to spend the morning playing with Anna after all. And not even her magic could change that.

  Anna gave Elsa a hug when she finished breakfast. “I won’t play in the fort until you can come, too,” she promised. Her syrupy hands stuck to Elsa’s hair when she pulled away.

  Elsa managed a small smile. “It’s okay,” she told her sister. “The lessons will fly by.”

  One of the first rules of being a ruler was never to complain about ruling. But Elsa was disappointed.

  While her father and Anna walked to the village, Elsa and her mother settled down in two big chairs in front of the fireplace. It was sunny outside, but a chill hung over the room.