While waiting for their new home to be renovated, Nellie and her younger brother George are sent to a farm in the countryside, much to George's delight and Nellie's disgust. However, the farmhouse and the surrounding area are teeming with fairy creatures, and first the two children encounter is a hobgoblin named Broom who is (more or less) secretly looking after the farm.
While playing outside, George inadvertently stumbles into a fairy ring and ends up in the realm of fairies. Nellie, alerted by Broom, goes after him, but arrives only just in time to find George eating from a fairy cake. The law of the realm states that a mortal who consumes fairy food must remain in the realm forever. Nellie and George strongly â and vociferously â protest, however, and so the Fairy Prince, the ruler of the realm, offers them a chance by setting three tasks for them. However, what they do not know is that the evil brother of the Prince, the Shapeshifter, tries to manipulate the children to usurp the rulership of the fairy realm. In addition, the Prince falls in love with the human farmhand Brigid, which proves pivotal in an old prophecy which foretells the future for the fairy realm.
Where does the king beg Oisin to travel to?