Somewhere, hidden amongst thorny brambles, is a little kingdom of elves and fairies. Everyone who lives here is very, very small.

- I’m Ben Elf.
- And I’m Princess Holly. Come on, let’s play!
- Wait for us!

BEN AND HOLLY’S LITTLE KINGDOM
Today’s adventure starts at the little castle.

The Royal Fairy Picnic.

- This is a perfect day for a royal fairy picnic.
- Good idea, Queen Thistle.
-  Hooray! I love picnics!
- Nanny Plum, prepare the royal picnic basket.
- Yes, your Majesty, and will we be having magic jelly for pudding?
- Err….maybe we should give the magic jelly a miss this year?
- But we always have magic jelly at the royal picnic.
- Well, if you promise not to flood the entire kingdom with jelly, like last year.
- Trust me, your Majesty. Nothing will go wrong this time.

- Mummy, can Ben come on the picnic?
- But, Holly, Ben is an elf.
- And this is a royal FAIRY picnic.
- Please can Ben come!? He’s my best friend.
- Well, I suppose, as he’s your best friend.
- Hooray! I’ll ring him.

- Hello? Mrs Elf speaking.
- Hello, Mrs Elf. Can I speak to Ben, please?
- Righto. Ben, it’s Princess Holly.
- Hi, Holly
- Hi, Ben. Would you like to come on the royal fairy picnic today?
- Yes, please!
- Good! Come to the castle as quick as you can.
- Mom, I’ve been invited on the royal fairy picnic.
- How lovely! You’ll need plenty of food, so you have enough to share. What would you like?
- Um… pies, cheese and some fruit, please?
- I’ll put in a whole strawberry. Then you’ll have enough to everyone.
- Thanks mum. Bye!
- See you later.

- Look everyone, its Ben.
- Hello, everyone.
- Ho ho! This should be fun. We’ve never had an elf before on our royal picnic before.
- Thanks for inviting me. That looks heavy. Can I help you carry it?
- Oh, thanks, Ben.
- Oh. But it’s really light.
- It’s a magic basket. Don’t worry, Ben. You’ll see. He he.

- Look! It’s Gaston the Ladybird.
- Hi, Gaston. Daddy can Gaston join our picnic?
- Mmm, I’m not sure.
   What did you say?
- Nanny Plum can speak Ladybird language.
- Gaston says he would like the pleasure of joining Princess Holly and Ben Elf on the Royal Fairy Picnic. Your Majesty.
- Very well. It’s just a pity he is a bit smelly.
   Nanny Plum. Can you translate that?
- Yes, I can, but I’d rather not.

- Ah, here we are, the royal picnic spot.
-  Hooray!!
- What’s this?
- It’s food for the picnic.
- You mean you actually bring food with you to a picnic?
- Err...Yes?
- It’s probably some strange elf custom, Your Majesty.
- Ho ho, how charming!
- I’ve got plenty of food for everyone.
- Thanks, Ben, but fairies don’t eat elf food. We have our own special fairy food.
- Here it is.
- Oh, but the basket is empty. You’ve forgotten your food.
- Silly Ben, it isn’t empty. It’s a magic picnic basket.
- It can give us anything we want.

- Let’s start with the drinks. I feel like some sparkling fairy juice. Magic basket, oh, so old, let’s have fairy juice, sparkling and cold.
- Wow!
- Ho ho. Yes, young elf, it is rather impressive.

- Ben, perhaps you would like to choose the drinks for the children.
- It can be anything you like.
- Anything? Can I really ask for anything?
- Yes, anything at all.
- Hmm. OK. Lemonade, please.
- Isn’t that a bit boring and ordinary?
- Elves like lemonade, and I‘m an elf.
- But, Ben, you can have anything you like in the whole wide world.
- In that case, lemonade with a dollop of ice-cream.
- Are you sure you wouldn’t like something more exotic?
- OK, lemonade with two dollops of ice-cream.
- Good choice Ben. Magic basket, please, lemonade with lots of ice cream.
- Hurray! Thanks, Holly.

- Don’t forget Gaston.
- Mm... What do ladybird like to drink?
- They like smelly things.
- That’s right.
- By a ladybird’s growl, may the next drink be foul.
- Nanny, you’ve made it too stinky, even for Gaston.
- Nonsense! Ladybirds love rotten cabbage juice.

- Now, for the main course. Magic basket, please, make us sandwiches with ham and cheese.
- Oooh!
- And, now full pudding.
- Hurray! Magic jelly.
- Nanny Plum, please don’t make too much this time.
- We don’t want a repeat of last year’s jelly flood.
- What happened?
- Holly, Daisy and Poppy always help me make the pudding.
- But last year we made bit too much and we…
- Flooded the whole kingdom with jelly.
- I remember! the jelly flood. Was that you?
- Yes, that was us.
- It was rather spectacular.
- But it’s not going to happen again. Is it Nanny Plum?
- Don’t worry, Your Majesty. We’ve been practising safe new words that keeps the quantity down. Come along, girls.
- Can I help too?
- Yes, Ben.

- Children, repeat after me. Magic basket, please, jelly, jelly, but not a lot.
- Magic basket, please, jelly, jelly, but not a lot. Hurray!
- Oh!
- They’re a bit small?
- They are quite little, aren’t they?
- Yes. We’ll need more.
- OK. Let’s try this. Basket, basket, more, more, more.
- Basket, Basket, more, more, more.

- Phew! For a moment there, I thought we were going to have another jelly flood.
- Jelly flood, jelly flood, jelly flood.
- Aaah, jelly flood!
- Nanny, there’s too much jelly.
- Stop it, Nanny!
- Shasam, shasing. Magic pudding, shrink, shrink, shrink.
- Nanny, try a stronger spell!
- I could use the stop magic spell, but that’s only for Royal emergencies.
- I declare this a royal emergency!
- Thunder and lightning north winds blow. Magic spells, away you go.

- It worked! Hurray!
- Nanny! Where’s our food?
- Sorry, I had to stop all the magic. And that included our magic picnic.
- That’s strange. My food is still here.
- That’s because it wasn’t made by magic.
- And, luckily I’ve enough for everyone.
- Thank you, Ben.
- But, Nanny, you said fairies don’t eat elf food?
- Erm..yes. Thank you for reminding me, Princess Holly.
- We can have a nice time without a picnic? Let’s sit and enjoy the view.
- Mmm.. Yummy!

- I’m a bit hungry.
- Me too. I don’t believe I’ve ever eaten elf food before.
- Would you like try some, King Thistle?
- Oh! Thank you, Ben. Yum, yum!
- Mm. Elf food is delicious.
- It really is. Nanny Plum, you must try some.
- Oh. Very well, your Majesty. Seeing seeing as it’s a Royal command.
- And here is another Royal command. When you have a fairy picnic, always take an elf.