King Thistle does not want to get any older so decides that no one must celebrate his birthday. But all of the Little Kingdom has been waiting to celebrate the King's birthday with a brilliant party.

They say that at the end of every rainbow is a pot of gold. So rainbows are a pirate's best friend - if you're looking for treasure. But, if like Captain Squid, you are hiding treasure. Rainbows are a pirate's worst enemy! Holly needs her wand to do magic. But one day, Holly loses her wand and is very sad. Ben uses his elf skills to find it again. The duo befriends a caterpillar called Betty, who wishes she could fly, and King Thistle advises them to fatten her up. They soon get a big surprise the next day! Holly goes on a camping trip with Ben and his parents, but they are soon joined by Mr. Gnome, who is always hungry and sings funny songs. Ben and Holly and their friends learn all about spying when both Nanny Plum and the Wise Old Elf compete to build a boat for King Thistle that would not be laughed at by snooty King and Queen Marigold at the boating carnival.

After a mishap involving a demonstration of the magic money chest and buttons, King Thistle tries to do a job to get a gold coin, with chaotic results. Everyone is visiting snooty King and Queen Marigold's Castle. King and Queen Marigold give them a which features a room made of ice sculptures and an upside-down room. Ben, Holly, and King Thistle decide to send Gaston to Miss Jolly's pet school and he meets his friends there. But soon, Gaston learns how good it is to be himself.

King Thistle catches a cold, so Ben, Holly, and Nanny Plum collect the ingredients for a magic potion to make him heal sooner or later.Ben and Holly go to the beehive to see how honey is made. The Wise Old Elf is the beekeeper and proceeds to show the children his special way of collecting honey. Granny Thistle comes to visit and gives Daisy and Poppy a powerful magical wand. The twins escape from the castle and go bananas!

Queen Thistle wants to take a day off, so Ben, Holly, Nanny, and the King have to look after the naughty twins, Daisy and Poppy, for the day. But even all the elves in the Little Kingdom can't help them keep the twins out of trouble. Holly accidentally smashes the Queen's new teapot, and Ben tries to help her repair it, but it doesn't work. Holly shrinks Lucy so she can play in the Little Kingdom. She has fun flying on Gaston the Ladybird and is invited to a sleepover at the Little Castle. Holly and her parents try to impress the snobby King and Queen Marigold with help from the elf band. Mr. Elf is overworked, so King Thistle sentences him to a holiday. He isn't too pleased. Mrs. Elf and Ben, however, are overjoyed by the news. Meanwhile, Nanny takes over the food deliveries.

Side guide

When Captain Squid leaves his treasure map in the Little Kingdom, Redbeard the Elf Pirate leads Ben, Holly, and Nanny Plum on a treasure hunt. The map says the treasure is deep underwater and guarded by a mermaid and a golden sea monster! Nanny Plum believes she works harder than The Wise Old Elf. The Wise Old Elf believes he works harder than Nanny Plum! King Thistle commands them to swap jobs for the day to settle the argument. Ben, Holly, and their friends go on a snail trek with Miss Jolly. The trek goes well until the snails head straight toward the Elf Farm and Mr Elf's cabbages. Holly accidentally breaks her wand and must go to the Wand Factory at the bottom of the Great Elf Tree to get it fixed.

Part 2 of the Second Christmas Special) Ben and Holly set out on a Christmas rescue mission to save the 3 trapped grown-ups from Part 1, but they all end up in Lucy's house for a Merry Christmas with Lucy and her family! Snooty King and Queen Marigold are coming to visit, but when the King's new clothes get dirty Nanny cleans them and accidentally shrinks them all. Holly invites Ben to the annual royal fairy picnic. King Thistle hopes there it won't be a repeat of last year's magical jelly flood. Mrs. Fig's magic school has been crashed by a falling apple. A cake stall is arranged to pay for the repairs, but no one can eat Queen Thistle's cakes. Nanny's magic license is out of date and, to get a new magic license, she must pass a test, set by the Wise Old Elf.Holly's father struggles to cope during a busy day, in which he has to launch a boat, judge a fruit and vegetable competition and make a speech at a dance festival.