NELLIE, our heroine, is a sensitive, intelligent, ten year old girl who has a great capacity to be sullen and judgmental. When approaching something new, she tends to be negative, but once she's convinced of its worth or integrity, she can be as enthusiastic as the next person (but never quite as enthusiastic as George). Strong- willed and short-tempered, Nellie is a pretty girl with red hair, red hair being, according to folklore, a sign of a link with the fairy world.

	GEORGE is Nellie's seven year old brother. His most distinguishing feature is his striking smile - the kind of smile that not only lights up his face but anything within smiling distance. George loves games and food and is enthusiastic, curious, cheerful and talkative. He is also trusting, open and loving - traits which tend to annoy
the circumspect Nellie to distraction. George has webbing between two of his toes which, like Nellie's red hair, is a sign of a link with the fairy world.

MR. AND MRS. COOMBS own Fairy Oak Farm. They are a kindly couple, in their mid-fifties, fond of children but with none of their own. Mrs. Coombs is a very kind, good- natured person, with a huge heart. Because she lives a relatively isolated life, when she has company she loves to chat... and chat... and chat. Mrs. Coombs is vaguely superstitious. She has an impressive knowledge of folk wisdom and of the medicinal and culinary uses of herbs. Mr. Coombs approaches just about every situation with a chuckle and a twinkle in his eye. Mr. Coombs and Nellie's father are old childhood friends.

BRIGID is a young woman, aged about nineteen, who lives locally and helps the Coombs with the farm work. Brigid does her job with enthusiasm and good humour. As a human, Brigid is very pretty, but as a fairy princess, she is strikingly beautiful, though she is naturally modest and has no sense of her own beauty. Brigid is the type of person who knows that there's more to life than what we see. She's had no proof of this, of course - but it's something she feels strongly. This makes her innocently interested in and accepting of everything that goes on around her. Though guileless, Brigid is no fool. Though it takes a long time to upset her or make her angry, once riled, she can be stubborn and single-minded.

Fairies come in all shapes and sizes from the glamorous and elegant to the puckish and mischievous. We will meet many fairies and get to know several of them well.

BROOM of the family McBroom is a brownie. He's about the size of a seven year old, but he's not a child. In fact, by human standards, he is very old. Although he isn't small with wings, he is a type of fairy - a domestic fairy who is responsible for the farm and its inhabitants. The main visual impression Broom gives is of brown-ness - shaggy brown hair,

tattered brown clothes, floppy brown shoes, and a brown broom with brown bristles which almost seems to be attached to him. Whenever he's nervous or excited, Broom starts to sweep. The main personal impression Broom gives is of scowling prickliness. But he's not as chronically irate as he appears. He just doesn't like surprises. He considers himself responsible for the smooth running of the house and takes this very seriously. Broom lives in the attic in the farmhouse, and, like most brownies, loves food and does not like straying far from the warmth of the hearth. He, of course, can see the fairies and knows all about them, but he doesn't trust them. Though he considers most fairies to be a nuisance, he respects their power.

THE PRINCE is everything you'd imagine a fairy monarch to be. He is extremely handsome and elegant, and his beauty is not just skin deep. He is the perfect ruler - warm, fair-minded, honest, kind, and not afraid to be guided by his heart rather than his head. Fortunately, he has a sense of humor which keeps him from appearing too earnest. Though he takes his role seriously, he doesn't regard himself with the same gravity. The Prince can be tough when he needs to be - particularly when he's dealing with his evil brother. But tough is not ruthless, and the Prince's first consideration is always to do what's best for the Fairy kingdom.

THE SHAPESHIFTER is evil incarnate. There is nothing good about him. He has no redeeming features. He's a great character. The Shapeshifter is actually the Prince's twin. He was the younger twin, however, by a few minutes, and, hence, not the next in line for the throne. The only way he could inherit the throne to Fairyland would be to kill his brother which he, in fact, tried to do. That's why he was ejected from Fairyland and told never to come back, ever. Because his mother, the Fairy Queen, couldn't bring herself to lock him up or destroy him, he was given his own "kingdom" - a dank, dark corner of Fairyland which no one else wanted. On his way out of the kingdom, an ugly old hag grabbed him and hissed in his ear not to despair - two human children, one with red hair and one with webbed toes, would one day "help him gain his rightful place in the palace."

CHUDLEY is one of the four main fairies who attend the Prince. Though Chudley is not exactly an advertisement for fairy glamour, he is always neatly dressed. He likes to feel that everything, including his appearance, displays a certain standard. Chudley boasts, swaggers and blusters, and appears far more confident than he really feels. He is a stern stickler for the rules and doesn't like taking risks or experimenting in any way. If he were a human, he'd be a civil servant.

MERRIVALE is a female fairy who wears a distinctive red hat. She's organized, sensible, practical and resourceful. She has an analytical mind, and approaches any problem systematically and methodically, not afraid of a challenge. She has a good sense of humor, but on the rare occasions when she loses her temper, watch out - you do not want to be the one who has upset her.

STARCROSS is a male fairy who never speaks. He stopped speaking when the Shapeshifter put a spell on a human he loved many many years ago. If you take the time to communicate with Starcross, you will discover that he is very wise. If he looks into the first dew drop of the day, he can see into the future. Starcross knows a great deal about magic and the healing arts. If he weren't a fairy, he'd probably be a wizard.

HUCCABY is a female fairy. She is very beautiful, but disheveled -- her appearance is an accurate reflection of her scattered and dreamy state of mind. She tends to be very sentimental, not liking to see anyone or anything unhappy or in pain. She loves all things beautiful. Kind but dreamily forgetful, Huccaby would promise to feed your cat while you're away, and then completely forget you have a cat.

PRINCESS BRIGID is an old friend of the Prince's, and the fairy he always thought he would marry until he met the human Brigid. Princess Brigid is attended by TIPPYCOTT, the female fairy equivalent of Chudley.