Elsa’s thoughts drifted back to the days when she and Anna were just little girls and nothing had gotten in the way of their fun times together. Elsa could even remember when Anna was born! It seemed as if the entire kingdom of Arendelle had celebrated her arrival.
It had been nighttime when Elsa was finally allowed to see her mother and her new baby sister. The fjord was filled with ships and boats. They were lit up to celebrate the birth of the tiny new princess. Some of the people of Arendelle even launched fireworks into the night sky. The fjord seemed to sparkle with delight.
The first thing Elsa noticed about her little sister was her thick crop of orange-red hair.
“Her head is so bright!” Elsa said. “Will it shine at night?”
Her parents had laughed softly. “No, no,” the queen said. “Anna has red hair. That’s all.”
As Anna grew, so did Elsa’s powers. Elsa loved to make ice crystals that danced in the sunlight and cast sparkles on the ceiling over baby Anna’s crib. Elsa delighted her little sister. She painted the little girl’s windows with snowflakes and turned her fruit juices into icy parfaits.
Over time, Anna learned to walk and talk. The two sisters began to make snow angels in their bedrooms, and later, they sneaked downstairs to play in the amazing winter wonderlands that Elsa made in the ballroom.
Then the accident had happened. And Elsa had learned to hide as she tried desperately to control her powers. During all that time, the family rarely celebrated birthdays or anything else….
“Elsa?” Anna asked again, louder. “Are you okay?”
“Fine! Yes, I’m fine!” Elsa replied, wiping her brow. It certainly was getting hot. “I was just remembering how cute you were as a baby.”
“Really?” Anna asked. “You don’t need to—”
“Surprise!” Elsa reached the top of the stairs. There was a door that opened onto a ledge in front of the giant clock face.
Elsa held up the birthday string. At the other end of it were two wooden dolls—they looked just like Anna and Elsa! The craftsmanship was amazing.
Elsa and Anna walked out onto the ledge and looked at the dolls. Around them, the view was incredible. The sisters could see all of Arendelle from their high perch. But Elsa seemed to be swaying.
“Please be careful, Elsa,” Anna said.
“Now I’m going to sing for my little sister!” Elsa’s voice was loud, but it quavered, as if she wasn’t quite sure what she was singing. Then she twirled, trying to make a flourish…but instead, she lost her balance and started to fall.
“Whoa!” Anna cried. She dropped her presents and rushed to catch Elsa. “Look at you—you’re burning up! Elsa, you’re so feverish!”
Anna had loved the day so far, but enough was enough. The queen was ill.
Elsa sighed and slowly nodded. She had to admit the truth: she had a cold and needed to go to bed.
Anna helped Elsa back down the clock tower stairs. Elsa had gone from being totally in control to barely being able to walk.
“Can I carry some of your gifts for you?” Elsa asked, leaning on Anna.
Anna shook her head. “Let’s just worry about carrying you.”
To make things easier, Anna left her presents along the stairs. She knew she could return for them later that day, or the next day, or even the day after that. It was too hard to carry a delicate snow globe and help her big sister. Anna knew which was more important.
“So this is a cold?” Elsa asked. “Are colds contagious? I’ve never had one before.”
“Yes, and yes. And really?” Anna said.
“Well, you know, I’ve never been bothered by the cold.”
“That’s true.”
“I don’t think I love having a cold, though,” Elsa added.
When they reached the bottom of the stairwell, Anna helped Elsa through the town square and toward the castle.
“I’m sorry, Anna,” Elsa said. “I just wanted to give you one perfect birthday, but I ruined it. Again.” This definitely was not how she had wanted Anna’s birthday to be.
“You didn’t ruin anything,” Anna said. “Everything has been absolutely perfect.”
Anna noticed that the town square seemed very quiet.
“Good thing it’s quiet,” Anna said. “That will help you take a nap.”
As the two approached the castle gates, Elsa leaned on Anna. She was having a hard time concentrating. But the party was still on…wasn’t it? Elsa wondered how poor Kristoff was doing with the preparations. At least Anna would have a nice cake….
Together, the sisters walked up to the castle gates. Anna patted her sister’s arm. “Here we are!” she said.
Anna leaned her back against the gates and pushed.
As the gates swung open, Elsa could see over Anna’s shoulder into the courtyard beyond. Her mouth fell open in dismay.
Behind Anna, Elsa could see little snowmen everywhere: on the ground, on the tables, and even on Olaf. And the cake she had been so proud of was being tossed back and forth from Olaf to Sven to Kristoff to keep it away from the snowmen.
As the little snowmen jumped at the cake, poor Kristoff scrambled onto Sven’s shoulders, holding the cake as high in the air as he could, to keep it safe. “No, no!” he cried through the chaos. “Please! Stop!”
A crowd of little snowmen had encircled one of the frozen columns, where Sven was balancing precariously. Kristoff had climbed atop Sven’s antlers. Kristoff’s arms were over his head, holding up Anna’s birthday cake.
In front of Elsa, Anna turned around to see what her sister was looking at.
At that moment, everyone froze, and the birthday banner fluttered back into place. Somehow, it even spelled out the correct message: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNA!
Elsa looked at her sister and then back at the courtyard. Nothing was as she had left it, but oddly, everything seemed okay.
“SURPRISE!” shouted a chorus of voices.
Anna’s face lit up in amazement. “Wow!” she exclaimed.
“Wow?” Elsa echoed.
“Happy birthday!” Olaf shouted. Kristoff, Sven, and all the little snowmen joined him as they cheered and started to sing. Despite the chaos and the swarms of little snowmen, they had somehow pulled off Anna’s birthday surprise.
As everyone sang, Kristoff slid off Sven’s antlers and carried the cake toward Anna. He was so relieved and pleased that the celebration had worked, he sang louder than anyone.
Twirling, he slid to a stop right in front of Anna and held the cake out to her. And he sang dramatically, “Happy birthday, Anna, I love you!”
Anna’s eyes widened in surprise. Did he just say that? she thought.
Kristoff looked stunned, too. Then he shrugged and smiled.
Then Sven sliced the cake with his antlers and everyone had a piece. It truly was a perfect day in so many ways.
“Now,” Anna told Elsa firmly, “to bed with you.” The cake was wonderful and the party was fun, but Anna knew her sister needed rest.
Elsa had one more objection…even though she was exhausted, and a soft pillow sounded like heaven. “Wait!” she said. “One last thing! The queen needs to blow the birthday horn!” Elsa wanted to finish Anna’s birthday with an official blast.
“Oh, no, no!” Anna tugged on her sister’s arm. “Come on!”
But Elsa dug in her heels. She ran to the royal birthday horn and, with help, lifted the huge horn to her lips. She blew into it as hard as she could….
“Ahh-CHOOOOOOO!” Elsa sneezed into the horn, and the sound echoed. It was the biggest birthday blast ever heard in the kingdom of Arendelle!
This time, Elsa’s sneeze did not create little snowmen. It created a giant, enormous, tremendous…snowball. The snowball launched into the air, high above Arendelle. It careened over mountains, across the ocean, and over almost an entire continent.
Finally, the snowball lost momentum and started to drop down over a distant island.
At that very moment, Prince Hans of the
Southern Isles happened to be busy in the royal stables, shoveling manure. Hearing a whistling sound, he looked up just in time to see a huge snowball hurtling across the sky.
“Whoa!” said Hans.
The snowball took a sudden turn downward—and slammed onto Hans! The handsome prince was knocked backward with such force that he fell into a wheelbarrow full of horse poo. SPLAT!
Back in Arendelle, Anna finally managed to put Elsa to bed. She helped Elsa sit up against her pillow, and then carried over a mug of hot soup. Holding it carefully, she helped her sister take a sip.
Elsa looked up gratefully. It felt so good to rest.
Anna smiled at her sister. “Best birthday present ever, you know.”
Elsa thought for a second. “Which one?”
Anna pulled the heavy Oaken “cloaken” over her sister. “You letting me take care of you.”
High up on the North Mountain, miles above Arendelle, Marshmallow was inside Elsa’s frozen palace. The huge snowman heard a knock on the front door.
Marshmallow’s heavy footsteps rumbled through the empty palace as he walked over and pulled open the door.
Outside, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf stood at the top of the icy staircase leading into the palace.
“Hi, Marshmallow!” Olaf said. “Did you miss me?”
And with that, Olaf breezed into the palace…followed by hundreds of little snowmen. “You’re going to love this place!” Olaf told the little guys.
Olaf stopped next to Marshmallow and waved at all the tiny snowmen as they crowded through the door. “This way, Sludge,” Olaf called. “And Slush and Slide and Ansel and Flake and Fridge and Flurry and Frost and Powder…” He had named every single one!
Kristoff stood just outside, leaning against the door with a tired look on his face. Glancing at a confused Marshmallow, Kristoff rolled his eyes. “Don’t ask,” he advised, shaking his head.
Frozen Fever Page 4
