Original subtitles

Once upon a time, far, far, away, a magical adventure took place in a world of eternal ice

and snow known to all as the Winterland.

It was a world of rugged beauty ruled by a wise old king who was well-loved by his people.

Although life was difficult in the snow-covered land, it was a peaceful existence and the people were happy.

The only visitors who were willing to travel to this distant land were occasional merchants,

men who braved the elements to bring news and goods

from other lands, men who are not accustomed to the ways of the North.

I wonder why more people don't come up here.

It's such a peaceful setting.

Oh, yeah? So much for your peace and quiet.

- Let's go! Hurry! - Hyah! Hyah!

Hyah! Move! Move! Hyah!

We've got to try and make the village!

They're right behind us and coming up fast!

Hyah! Hyah!

That'll slow them down!

The king of the Winterland had ruled his domain for many, many years.

Although he had no son, he did have three beautiful daughters,

one of whom would someday take her place on the throne.

Blessed with the power to communicate with animals,

he governed the creatures of the forest with the same wisdom he dispensed to his people.

Welcome.

Ah, my dear merchants. Welcome to the kingdom of the Winterland.

I hope my friends, the wolves greeted you properly.

The whole pack!

Nice try to outmeet us, but a welcome.

Good. They obey me as do all my loyal subjects.

Now, shall we go in?

Ah, this is good. We almost froze, coming up here.

Yes, the weather has been incredible.

Everywhere you look in my kingdom, nothing but clean, fresh snow. And in here,...

Oh, dear. My daughters.

- Is this for us? - Just look!

- We bring greetings from the lands in the South. - Oh, Father.

- Yes. Wonderful things to show us, I hope. - Oh, how beautiful. - Of course.

Sister, come see!

It must be hard being a widower with two such...

Yes. Well, I suppose nearly all my subjects obey me.

- Look at this! Look at this! - Oh, how cute!

- What's this? - It's a tinderbox.

Hold it like this.

Ooh.

Hello.

Ah, my youngest girl. She's the image of my late wife.

- Isn't there anything about all these beautiful wears that you would like, my dear? - I like this.

- Is there a picture of flowers? - Mm-hmm.

Here you are.

Thank you.

Why would anyone want that?

Dear Moon, dear wolves, Father, sisters,...

I love you all,... but I also want to hear the songs...

and see the flowers and colors of summer.

And along to have someone to speak to,

who will understand my thoughts,

and who shares my dreams.

I know you're there somewhere. I'll do anything to find you.

The princess didn't realize it, but the place she was dreaming about in her picture really existed.

And the handsome young prince she saw walking through the orchard in her mind's eye would appear,

and take her away to live in a beautiful garden.

He would come for her, but he would come in a form no one could ever have imagined.

Far away to the South of the winter kingdom

laid the Summerland, a region of eternal warmth and fertility.

But in spite of its many blessings, a dark cloud had descended on the realm.

Its people were mourning the death of their monarch

and in terror of a beautiful but evil witch, who threatened their kingdom.

So, after being urgently summoned, Prince Valemon, the heir to the throne,

returned to comfort his mother and claim his birthright.

The king is dead! Long live the king!

Are you all right, Mother?

My son, the time for sadness is over.

You are king now. You must be as good and wise as your father was.

- Bring peace and prosperity to your people. - I miss him.

I wish he could be here to advise me.

But I will do my best.

This chain was given to me by your father.

It's yours now,...

to give to the one you take for your bride.

It can only be given to someone you love and will bind you to her forever.

My dearest Valemon.

At last, you are the king... my king.

With me at your side, you will be the most powerful king.

We shall conquer the world, all the way to the Winterland.

And our children will rule after us.

My kingdom is one of peace,

and you... will never be my bride!

- You refuse me? - I don't want to conquer the world.

Then, I'll turn you into a huge, wild bear for 7 years!

Only at midnight, will you be human.

No woman will be your bride. Who could love such an animal?

But you mustn't be seen as a man.

If you are, then, you'll be mine forever!

No one can live without love; especially, a prince under an evil spell.

So, Valemon desperately journeyed northward to the Winterland,

searching for someone who could love and understand polar bear.

Good morning, princess.

Now, you be careful.

Hey, slow it down!

Come on, we're leaving.

You watch where you're going!

You can't catch me!

- Good-bye, Father. - Take care, dear.

Good morning, Your Majesty.

See you over there!

I'm over here! You can't catch me!

Over here.

Join us.

You can't catch me. You're not fast enough.

Oh, yes, I am. Let's race.

Please, don't be afraid.

- Hello, Father. - Where's your sister?

I don't know.

The princess is alone in the forest! Take a party of men and find her!

Yes, sire.

Come on, everyone! The princess is missing! Hurry!

This way!

- Why are you so angry? - Because I'm not a polar bear.

I'm the king from the South.

I was put under a spell.

What is that?

Oh.

It's beautiful.

I can only give it to the one I marry.

It's you.

Go home now. I'll be back for you in 3 days.

Don't forget.

Where on Earth have you been?! What's going on out there in the forest?

Weren't you afraid out there?

What is there to be afraid of?

I met a beautiful white bear who's not really a bear.

Actually, he's a king under a spell.

He's kind and gentle.

- And I like him. - A king? White bear?

What are you talkin about?

Don't you understand, dear? He only wants you for his next meal!

- He wants to marry me. - He?!

You mean "it"! You're talking about a polar bear!

I've told you, he was put under a spell.

Spell? Nonsense! We don't believe in that kind of thing.

We aren't superstitious in this part of the world.

"Spell." You are the one who's under a spell.

I want to show you something.

Father, look.

He gave me this chain and he's coming back for me in 3 days.

We'll chase it straight back to the North Pole where it belongs!

Is there any sign of him?

Father, you don't understand.

Understand?

I have known and loved you for 17 years.

- Who could understand you better? - You must let me be free now to go my own way.

- I have to leave you, Father. - No! Damn that bear!

I'll never allow it to take my most precious love away from me!

But Father, you still have my sisters.

Those two, they're far too taken up with themselves.

They don't care about an old king, all alone in his last few years.

The wolves! The wolves are sending me a message!

They say there will be no white bear in the woods today. Perhaps tomorrow, then.

Keep up the guard! I don't trust that bear!

Oh, no!

You will stay right here! Do you understand?!

- Father, it's urgent! - They've seen the white bear!

- Stop! Don't! - You have to stay here!

- Let me go! - Don't be stupid!

Oh!

Attack!

Come on, men! Forward!

- We're gonna stand back! - Form a line! Here!

Careful!

Easy!

He's so angry. It's not his fault.

Not his fault? What are you talking about?! Can't you see?! He'll eat us all!

He's a dangerous beast!

- Let me talk to him. - Never! I won't allow it!

Listen. He stopped growling.

All the animals obey me! This one will too!

But he's not an animal!

Climb onto my back.

Are you happy?

No! I'm angry! Go back to where you came from and leave us alone!

You are not?!

I'll come back tomorrow.

How could you think of living without the snow?

It's clean, white, and beautiful. And it makes people wise and strong.

It makes us strong, but it can also make us cold.

Your heart is not warm and open to me.

I can never be happy if I can't be with my love.

Why isn't everything as simple as snow?

Keep a sharp eye, men!

Here.

Hold your positions!

Look! There!

Move! Go!

Stay right up on him!

Move!

Run!

It's going to kill us!

I'll get rid of that bear once and for all!

Where's the golden chain?

Stop! Don't hurt him!

Are you happy?

I've never been happier in my whole life.

Good. Now, we can go home.

Father, you have to stop doing that. You're wearing up the floor.

Don't you understand anything?

Oh, of course, we do.

I envy her, really.

Imagine spending a night in a forest with a polar bear.

Listen! Listen, all my birds and beasts of the forest! Hear me!

This is your king speaking to you! I need news of my daughter,

who has traveled South!

Everything's so beautiful and green here.

This is my land.

- Do we have much further to go? - We shall be home very soon.

What a wonderful cold day!

If only I had some news of your sister.

Don't worry, she can only be eaten once.

Bye.

King Valemon's loyal subjects knew that if he were to find someone to love

and be with him for the 7 years, the evil spell would be lifted

and the kingdom would be free.

And so, it was with great joy and relief

that they hailed the return of their king with his beautiful young bride.

- It's the king! - Your Majesty.

- Welcome home, sire. - Good day, milady.

- We are honored, Your Majesty. - Very good, sire. - Good to see you.

Your Highness.

Come quickly! The king has found a bride!

- She's so beautiful! - Isn't she?

Word passed quickly through the kingdom that Valemon had returned.

Of course, not everyone was pleased.

Even though the king was happy to be back in the Summerland,

his joy was tampered by the knowledge that hard times they had had for his bride.

The witch would not willingly accept defeat,

had he shuddered to think of what evil she might yet unleash against his household.

We're home.

It's just as I pictured it. What a beautiful place this is!

- What is it, Father? - A message about your sister!

They have left the forest and the snow and have traveled South and South and South.

What a disaster.

They have arrived at a big, beautiful castle that lies in a sea of flowers.

Maybe the big white bear is a king after all.

To the princess, Valemon's castle was the fulfillment of her most cherished dreams.

An enchanted fortress surrounded by sheltering trees, a quiet pond,

and carpets of flowers.

She knew suddenly that this was the place she had been searching for all her life.

This is where you will live.

What shall I do here?

Wait for me. I'll come back at midnight.

As the princess slept peacefully in her room, she was not alone.

Though not as powerful as the witch, Valemon's mother was also skilled in the use of magic.

And she had used her talents to make herself invisible,

to protect her loved ones against further attacks by the evil enchantress.

How brave she was to follow him here.

Who are you?

I'm King Valemon, your husband.

- But... - I turn back into a man every night at midnight.

But nobody, not even you can see my face until the spell is over.

Otherwise, I'll be in the witch's power and I'll belong to her forever.

My poor Valemon.

My mother disappeared after I was cursed.

Whatever happened, I'm sure she's trying to help you.

Sometimes, I feel like she's standing right next to me.

As though I could reach out and touch her.

A year went by and every night at midnight, Valemon would come to see his bride,

but he always left before the first light.

His heart was always full of sadness, even on the most joyous occasions

because he was never allowed to share these moments with his beloved.

Nap time.

Now, now.

There you are, little one. Time to go to sleep and you must sleep too, milady.

You have to keep up your strength.

So.

Thank you.

Look! He's speaking!

- There's a good catch. - Father! Father!

I'm... I'm a grandfather. My daughter has borne a child.

Oh, Father! Isn't it wonderful?!

I'm a grandfather! I'm a grandfather! I'm a grandfather!

I'm a grandfather!

No more work today! We're going to celebrate!

Ever watchful, Valemon's mother would come again and again to the princess's bedroom

to make sure the girl and her child were safe.

She knew the witch would carry out some terrible act of vengeance

and she was determined to protect her son and his family at all costs.

What a dear, little child.

And finally, the day came that the queen mother had been dreading.

She could feel the evil building up outside the walls of the castle.

And in a desperate attempt to save her grandchild from danger,

she removed the infant from her cradle

and kept her wrapped in a cloak of protective invisibility.

Well, my dear. So, you're the one.

I could thank you for having borne this child for me,

but I think I just hate you too much.

Too bad I have no power over you, but his child is mine now.

Come with me, you little devil.

Don't you touch her! Get out!

What?! Impossible! Whoever's done this, will pay dearly!

Get out, I said!

You may have won for now, but I tell you, Valemon is mine!

My child! What have you have you done with my baby?!

- Madame! Madame! - What has happened?

Try to understand.

Valemon, our baby's gone.

Try not to be upset, my love.

We'll get her back soon.

Everything's going to be alright. I promise you.

One day, this curse will be over.

The animals say it's important! They must have more news about your sister!

Oh, no!

My grandchild has disappeared.

No pain lasts forever and the anguish of the princess faded with the passing of the seasons.

Soon, she found herself with child again.

- Come quickly! It's time! - We're right here, my lady!

Don't worry about a thing. Just come with us.

Time to let your mother sleep.

In spite of her happiness over the arrival of her new children,

the princess still felt the pain of her first daughter's disappearance.

As she rested, she wondered if she would ever see her again.

The queen mother, however, knew that there was no time to rest.

The forces of evil were, once again, preparing to attack.

Milady! Stay here!

This time, the witch was not here.

What has happened to our children?!

There, there, child.

Months and months went by and the princess was inconsolable over the loss of her children.

But then, one day...

Madam, there are two men here to see you.

Your Majesty, we come from your father, the king.

He sends you a gift and asks that you visit him soon.

He insisted we handle it with great care, Your Highness.

He even wrapped it himself.

As the princess gently pulled back the layers of fur,

she found herself wondering what could her father possibly have sent her

that would require such careful protection.

As the princess beheld the precious gift, the warmth of her family's love

overcame the chill that surrounded her heart.

And more than anything, she wanted to see them once again.

It's snow. Real snow.

Go to your father, my dearest, but don't stay away too long.

Soon, the spell will be broken.

I ask only one thing of you.

If your sisters should offer you a present, promise me that you will not accept it.

- Welcome home, madam. - Thank you.

Father!

But can't you look at him when he's sleeping?

He doesn't come until all the lights are out.

And then, it's too dark.

By morning, he's gone.

I wonder why he doesn't want you to see him.

- Maybe, it's because he's so ugly. - Or maybe, he has a green face.

Well, whatever the reason, I have something here that will put an end to the mystery.

One quick look while he's sleeping. No one will ever know.

And so, despite her promise to Valemon, the princess brought back a gift from her sisters.

Once she was home, the desire to see her husband's face

for the first time was so overwhelming,

she could not resist the temptation to use the tinder box

and the candle at the earliest opportunity.

What have you done?!

Don't you know that in just 3 months, the spell would have been broken?!

Now, I have to marry the witch!

Wait!

Valemon is mine! Mine! Mine!

No!

Come on, children.

There is no need for us to hide anymore.

We have to help your mother.

When the princess realized she had condemned her beloved

to marriage with the witch,

her mind lost all sense of reality.

She rushed into the forest, desperately searching for some sign of his passage.

Valemon! Valemon!

Follow us. Listen well.

Up here.

Come.

You poor dear. Come over here and warm yourself.

You're soaking wet!

You must be freezing!

Come.

Did King Valemon go this way?

Yes, we saw him rushing by earlier today.

I'd better leave right now.

- No, no! Not yet! - Wait! First, you have to get some new clothes.

And now, if you are to catch up with King Valemon, you will have to eat.

I don't know what to say! Thank you.

You'll need these if you plan to climb the witch's mountain. And be brave.

When you get to the top, someone will be there to help you.

With the magic scissors and tablecloth firmly strapped to her back

and the magic boots firmly strapped to her feet,

the princess wasted no time in beginning the perilous ascent to the witch's castle.

The queen mother had warned her that the boots must remain dry at all times.

With this in mind, the princess advanced very carefully up the sheer surface of the rock.

Should she fall to her death, the witch's triumph would be complete.

Whoever you are, this is as far as you go.

No one is allowed up here except King Valemon.

I'm his wife.

Madam!

Thank goodness, you're here. You're just in time.

- The wedding takes place tomorrow! There! - Where?!

Come, come!

Here, put these on.

Hurry, madam before the witch sees us!

- Where is King Valemon? - Locked up in his room in the tower.

- How are we going to rescue him? - I don't know yet.

First, I have to talk to him.

Of course, milday.

We who work here are prisoners from the Summerland and we will help you.

But the witch must not recognize you.

You have to stand and walk more like a boy. Like this. See?

Yes, yes, yes. Good.

Can you take me to the king now?

I have to hurry back before the witch misses me, but don't worry, madam.

- I will tell the king that you are here. - Thank you.

And now, we add a little snake's venom.

Welcome, Lord and Master.

I'm honored by your invitation.

And I shall, of course, be pleased to come to the wedding.

And to be Master of Ceremonies will be a great pleasure.

Thank you, Master. What a great honor.

But how would you like me to dress? In what form, would you like me to appear?

I think like people have known you for thousands of years.

Mmm, you mean...

... this way?

Oh, yes. Yes, yes! My lord, my master.

Oh, you are so beautiful.

Oh, yes, yes, yes. That will do.

And what are you making here?

Oh, just a little concoction. A drop of evil, you could say.

To put the guests in the right mood.

No, no, my dear. Be careful!

Don't forget.

Too much evil destroys evil.

Uh, frankly, I would prefer an ordinary but rather elaborate dinner with some extraordinary wines.

Of course. As you wish, Master. Whatever you say.

I can see he's going to be far more elegant and beautiful than I am.

There must be something I can do.

- I want those scissors! - I'm afraid they'll only work for me.

Get up!

I want you to make a dress for my wedding and some clothes for King Valemon as well.

Come along.

But if I'm going to make clothes for King Valemon, I will have to measure him.

Follow me.

Find him somewhere to work and then, take him to the king's room.

Hmm, a boy?

Looks to me like you need a haircut.

You're much too late, my dear.

She's here?

Yes, Your Majesty. And she has a plan to stop the wedding.

Shhh.

What are you doing here? Get out!

I've realized that you'd rather see someone else, but first,

why don't you have this lovely drink?

Drink it up. It'll do you good.

Not bad.

It'll do you so senselessly good.

- I feel so... - Tired, my dear?

Welcome, he's all yours. Go on, measure him.

I will, but when the clothes are finished, I will have to try them on him.

- And then, he can't be asleep. - Don't worry, I'll see to that.

I saw her give something to the king that made him sleep.

And she'll probably do the same kind of thing the next time you see him.

Where does she make the potions?

In the tower. Always in the tower, but I can help you to get up there.

The princess now faced the most perilous moment of her quest.

She knew the danger that awaited her in the witch's tower, but she had made up her mind.

There was no power on Earth that was going to stop her from freeing her beloved Valemon.

Almost there. Well done!

You've never understood, my dear Valemon.

The truth is that I am your evil side.

When we are united, we will create the perfect human being.

A real king... to rule the world!

And now, let's prepare a little evil.

Not too much. Just enough to scare off that stupid girl.

"Be careful", my master said. "Too much evil destroys evil."

A little bit of this, a drop of this, and finally,...

Perfect!

Hmm?

Now, a lot of this. And plenty of this. And too much of this.

And don't be careful!

Let's see what this does to your evil plans.

Oh! Thank goodness, you caught it! But your hair...?

So, what's in the bottle?

It's a magic potion that will make you evil. Whatever you do, sire, don't drink it!

I understand, my friend. Thank you for the warning.

- Go away! - Yes, ma'am.

Right away, ma'am.

What happened to his hair?

Here, drink it up, dearest.

- It's turned white. His hair. - Who?

Uh? Yes, how strange. I didn't think he was that old.

Delicious!

Ah, and who do we have here? The cheeky little Northerner.

Leave the clothes on the bed. I'll try them on myself.

I don't want your dirty little paws on me.

Now, you sound like a man who's ready to rule the world.

We'll be magnificent together, my dearest.

Get out!

Why don't you enjoy your evil streak while I sort out the menu for our wedding banquet?

Ugh! How I would love some real food instead of this garbage!

I'm so sick of earthworms and casseroles filled with spiders and snakes!

Hurry, everybody.

How about a nice glass of wine?

Give me that wine bottle and the tablecloth!

- But I'm the only one who... - Enough!

Alright. Then, I want you to prepare the banquet.

Well, yes. Of course.

Now, why would you want to do that, hmm?

Well, I think, maybe King Valemon and you would... would rather have ordinary food and wine than...

... spiders and snakes.

Hmm, you may have a point there.

My master will be pleased too.

You did it! You fooled her!

In honor of her wedding, the witch sent out invitations to every foul corner

and wretched pit on the face of the Earth.

Every vile, disgusting creature she had ever known

was requested to come and toast the happy couple.

Jealous troll!

I told you before, it's mine! And you'd better give... Ow!

Milady.

Servants, pour the wine!

It's time for the special brew.

- Put that down! - Oh, yeah, yeah!

Pour this in King Valemon's glass!

Cheers!

Stop!

We must wait for the master!

Lord and Master, we are ready!

Friends, we are gathered here tonight to marry good with evil.

As long as good and evil exist side-by-side, we maintain a reasonable balance.

And there will always be a need for us and our services.

Allowing, therefore, to propose a toast to this eternal balance.

Let us raise our glasses.

- Cheers! - Cheers!

There's a slight aftertaste of...

I think I must've come to the wrong party.

Excuse me.

All for nothing.

Right!

Yes!

Word of the witch's destruction would soon be cause for great celebration

throughout the kingdom of the South.

But nowhere was the joy more deeply felt than among the hundreds of prisoners

who had been held captive by her powers of evil.

Because of the courage of the princess and King Valemon and their love for each other,

the happy family was now free to journey North for a joyous reunion.

- Is it coming up soon? - Yes, ma'am.

No wolves this morning.

They're coming!

Where in heavens? Now, where did I put my crown?

I was...

Ah, yes. Here it is.

- Welcome, my dear son-in-law! - Thank you.

Father?

Oh, my dear! Darling!

It's so good to see you again.

Welcome home!

- Um, Your Majesty, may I present my mother? - That's your family?

- Madam, how good of you to come. - My pleasure.

That's our grandfather!

Well, who do we have here?

Oh, wait just a moment. I have a little surprise for you.

Here I come. Are you ready?

- Your Majesty? - Not now.

- Sire? - Later, later!

Come with me.

There's something I want to show you.

You see, once upon a time, a handsome young king was turned into a polar bear

and a beautiful princess fell in love with him.

- Children? - Coming, coming.

Once upon a time, there was a king who had three granddaughters.

But that's another story altogether.

Except for the ending, of course. That's always the same.

They all lived happily ever after.