0:00:08 > 0:00:11# Katie Morag
0:00:11 > 0:00:13# Run away across the ocean
0:00:13 > 0:00:15# Katie Morag
0:00:15 > 0:00:17# Over the sea to Struay
0:00:17 > 0:00:19# Katie Morag
0:00:19 > 0:00:22# Run away across the ocean
0:00:22 > 0:00:24# Katie Morag
0:00:24 > 0:00:26# Over the sea to Struay. #
0:00:31 > 0:00:35'My name is Katie Morag McColl and I live on the island of Struay.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39'I suppose it's quite wee but it's ginormous to me
0:00:39 > 0:00:41'and everyone looks out for me
0:00:41 > 0:00:44'when I'm out and about having my adventures.'
0:00:44 > 0:00:45# Katie Morag. #
0:00:47 > 0:00:49'Last time Mum and Dad went to Oban,
0:00:49 > 0:00:52'they brought me back a box of magic tricks.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56'I practised and practised, till I was absolutely brilliant.'
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Magical glitter, magical hat,
0:00:58 > 0:01:00tap with my wand and how about that.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13'Neilly Beag said you don't need a box of tricks to see real magic.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16'All you need is a teeny wee seed.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22'Neilly Beag loves growing veggies in his garden,
0:01:22 > 0:01:25'but he usually plants way too many,
0:01:25 > 0:01:28'so he's always bringing boxes round to the shop.'
0:01:28 > 0:01:32You've done it again, Neilly Beag. Finest carrots I've seen all year.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35What have you got there, Katie Morag?
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Uncle Matthew gave me sunflower seeds to plant.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40Those ones last month,
0:01:40 > 0:01:42those ones last week
0:01:42 > 0:01:44and I'm planting these ones today.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48And all from such tiny wee seeds.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50That's real magic.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52It sure is.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56Now, I hope you're talking to them, because plants need love
0:01:56 > 0:01:58just like the rest of us.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03Would you please stop filling her head with all that nonsense!
0:02:03 > 0:02:04I beg your pardon?
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Gardening is a science.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08It's knowledge and know-how.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Not talking to plants as if they understood English...
0:02:11 > 0:02:13or Gaelic!
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Anyway, what have you got there?
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Carrots. You're not the only one to grow them, you know.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24What? Those teeny, radish-like articles?
0:02:26 > 0:02:28That's not a carrot...
0:02:28 > 0:02:31THIS is a carrot!
0:02:31 > 0:02:33You're talking nonsense, as usual.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37'Grannie Island and Neilly Beag were always bickering about something.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40'This time it was about vegetables.'
0:02:40 > 0:02:43It's no mystery why I have the better vegetables.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47'The reason was that the Three Island Festival was coming up,
0:02:47 > 0:02:51'and the highlight was a contest between Struay, Coll and Tiree
0:02:51 > 0:02:54'to see who could grow the biggest carrot.'
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Your garden is more sheltered than mine, and your soil...
0:02:57 > 0:03:01'And, of course, the two of them both wanted the Struay entry
0:03:01 > 0:03:02'to be one of their carrots!'
0:03:02 > 0:03:06You just need to deal with them properly...
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Ha, vegetables don't have a language!
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Correct.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14See! That attitude right there!
0:03:14 > 0:03:18That's why it's one of MY carrots that'll win the trophy this year!
0:03:18 > 0:03:22Face it, Neilly Beag. If my soil was half as good as yours,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24my carrots would be twice the size.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28It's easy to say. I'd like to see you prove it!
0:03:28 > 0:03:30'And, yep, you guessed it,
0:03:30 > 0:03:35'that's when I had one of my nearly world-famous magnificent ideas.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39'Grannie Island said Neilly Beag's carrots were bigger
0:03:39 > 0:03:41cos his garden had better soil than hers.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45'So, I said they should both grow their carrots in our garden.'
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Which side?
0:03:47 > 0:03:49BOTH: That one!
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Why don't you do rock, paper, scissors?
0:03:53 > 0:03:54Fine by me!
0:03:54 > 0:03:56One, two, three!
0:03:59 > 0:04:00- Scissors cuts paper!- Yes!
0:04:00 > 0:04:03'That way they could see who really was the best.'
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Enjoy your victory.
0:04:05 > 0:04:06It'll be your last!
0:04:10 > 0:04:13'Grannie Island came by first thing the next morning.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16'She couldn't wait to get her patch ready for planting.'
0:04:16 > 0:04:17She's here!
0:04:27 > 0:04:28Stop!
0:04:29 > 0:04:30Jumper.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35You're fine.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46What's in that milk carton?
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Have a sniff.
0:04:48 > 0:04:49Oh!
0:04:50 > 0:04:51Yuck.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53What stuff have you got there?
0:04:53 > 0:04:54Tea.
0:04:54 > 0:04:55Tea?!
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Compost tea!
0:04:57 > 0:05:00It's full of good stuff for the soil.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Not the kind of tea you'd be wanting to dunk your porridgies in.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Well, I've tasted your porridgies.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09A good soaking in this stuff would be an improvement.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17'Grannie Island said gardening was a science,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20'so while those two were digging and raking,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24'me and Liam tried some more planting experiments.'
0:05:24 > 0:05:27What would you like want to plant first? A Jelly Baby?
0:05:32 > 0:05:34I suppose it might grow into a Jelly Man.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39'By the time the others had got their vegetable patches ready,
0:05:39 > 0:05:43'me and Liam had planted four peanuts, some porridge oats,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46'six raisins, two apple cores and a dinosaur leg.'
0:05:48 > 0:05:51'Next, Liam wanted to plant his pocket money
0:05:51 > 0:05:53'to see if it grew into a hundred pennies.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57'Mum said no, but Dad said he liked the way Liam was thinking.'
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Katie Morag! We're needing our seeds.
0:06:00 > 0:06:01OK!
0:06:06 > 0:06:07There we go!
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Half for Grannie Island...
0:06:11 > 0:06:14..and half... for Neilly Beag.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22- Thank you very much.- Thanks Dad!
0:06:22 > 0:06:25'On the way back, though, I had a teeny-weeny setback...'
0:06:25 > 0:06:28MAGICAL TINKLING Oh!
0:06:28 > 0:06:31'..but I couldn't let it get in the way of the plan.'
0:06:31 > 0:06:33We're going to need those pennies, Liam.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49Excellent!
0:06:51 > 0:06:52Perfect!
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Got them!
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Right, now...
0:06:57 > 0:06:59You make a nice neat wee trench.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05You space the seeds evenly.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08And last but not least...
0:07:08 > 0:07:11A scientifically-devised formula of my own.
0:07:13 > 0:07:14Carrots love it!
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Well, what are you waiting for?
0:07:32 > 0:07:34'So, that was the seeds planted.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36'Now all we had to do was wait.'
0:07:38 > 0:07:42'Grannie Island said I'd have to be patient though,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44'and I really tried.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47'I was patient for absolutely ages!
0:07:48 > 0:07:51'But being patient is a funny thing.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53'The longer you do it, the harder it gets.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56'And, finally, I couldn't do it any more!'
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Hurry up and grow!
0:07:58 > 0:08:01No point in yelling, Katie Morag.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04What they need is love and encouragement.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Do you really think they understand what you're saying?
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Maybe it's the way I say it.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Maybe they can sense whether I'm in a good mood or a bad mood.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16And if I'm in a good mood, they're in a good mood!
0:08:16 > 0:08:20Or whatever the carrot equivalent of a good mood is.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23You know, sometimes...
0:08:23 > 0:08:25I even sing to them.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28- Really?- Yeah.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31# Oh, the King of the vegetable race
0:08:31 > 0:08:34# Is the one with the bright orange colour
0:08:34 > 0:08:37# Boil them up with some peas for your lunch
0:08:37 > 0:08:40# Or bite them with a crunch
0:08:40 > 0:08:43# Now I'm reaching the end of my song
0:08:43 > 0:08:47# Just a couple of lines left to go
0:08:47 > 0:08:50# So we'll sing it again from the top
0:08:50 > 0:08:53# Cos it helps my carrots to...
0:08:53 > 0:08:55# GROW!
0:08:55 > 0:08:57# Oh, the King of the Vegetable race
0:08:57 > 0:09:00BOTH: # Is the one with the bright orange colour
0:09:00 > 0:09:02# Boil them up with some peas for your lunch
0:09:02 > 0:09:05# Or just bite them with a crunch
0:09:05 > 0:09:07# Now I'm reaching the end of my song
0:09:07 > 0:09:10# Just a couple of lines left to go
0:09:10 > 0:09:13# So let's sing it again from the top
0:09:13 > 0:09:15# Cos it helps our carrots to...
0:09:15 > 0:09:20# GRO-O-OW! #
0:09:21 > 0:09:24'I'm not sure it was the singing that did it,
0:09:24 > 0:09:28but when I checked the next day, I had the best surprise ever!'
0:09:28 > 0:09:31They've sprouted! The carrots have sprouted!
0:09:31 > 0:09:36'Little green shoots were appearing in both of the vegetable patches.'
0:09:41 > 0:09:45'After that, Grannie Island and Neilly Beag came by everyday
0:09:45 > 0:09:48'to see how their carrots were doing.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52'The carrot leaves were soon almost two inches high,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55'but Grannie Island said we shouldn't get too excited yet.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58'It was the bit underground that mattered.'
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Don't be getting too downhearted.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Remember the acorn.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07It's such an unimpressive wee thing at the start,
0:10:07 > 0:10:09but what does it grow into?
0:10:09 > 0:10:12A great big oak tree.
0:10:12 > 0:10:19And you, each and every one of you, is as good as any old acorn.
0:10:19 > 0:10:20Do they ever talk back?
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Maybe not, but they listen very carefully.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Apart from Angus there, the wee rascal!
0:10:29 > 0:10:31You've given them names?!
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Of course I have!
0:10:33 > 0:10:39That's Donald there, and there's Gerry, and that's Jonathan,
0:10:39 > 0:10:43and there's Donnie Beag, and Donnie Mor.
0:10:43 > 0:10:44And this one here's Fiona.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Oh, it's tough being the only girl,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51but I keep telling her not to worry.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56The finest carrot I ever knew was a girl.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00The scary thing is, I think he actually means it.
0:11:02 > 0:11:07'Me and Liam watered and weeded our special seed patch every single day,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10'but there was no sign of any peanut bushes, Jelly Men,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13'porridge plants OR dinosaur trees.'
0:11:20 > 0:11:23'At long last, the big day came
0:11:23 > 0:11:25'and everyone gathered round to see
0:11:25 > 0:11:29'Grannie Island and Neilly Beag pull up their giant carrots.'
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Right, folks. It's the moment of truth.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Right, stand back please.
0:11:37 > 0:11:38Now, give me room!
0:11:47 > 0:11:48Are you all right?
0:11:48 > 0:11:51THEY LAUGH
0:11:51 > 0:11:53- Where is it?- Here it is!
0:12:00 > 0:12:04- What's that?!- Now let's see what a carrot's supposed to look like!
0:12:08 > 0:12:10What kind of carrot is this?!
0:12:10 > 0:12:12THEY LAUGH
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Is this some kind of joke?
0:12:16 > 0:12:18What type of seed did you give us, actually?
0:12:22 > 0:12:27Erm... I think I might know what might have happened.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30'I told everyone all about spilling the first seeds
0:12:30 > 0:12:34'and having to buy a new packet with Liam's pocket money.'
0:12:34 > 0:12:37These are the ones you must've grabbed second, Katie Morag.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41Dwarf carrots are a particularly sweet variety
0:12:41 > 0:12:44which remain tiny, even when fully-grown.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46What a relief.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48I thought I'd lost my touch.
0:12:48 > 0:12:53'There was no point in even entering the Three Island Contest this year.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56'And to make things worse, there was still nothing growing
0:12:56 > 0:12:59'in mine and Liam's special seed patch.'
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Come on, Liam. Dad's made carrot soup.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05A very SMALL pan of carrot soup.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09MAGICAL TINKLING What is it?
0:13:09 > 0:13:11'When suddenly, for some reason,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14'Liam had spotted something in the longer grass.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20'The grown-ups couldn't believe it when we showed them.'
0:13:22 > 0:13:26'One of the seeds I dropped in the bit of grass had somehow grown into
0:13:26 > 0:13:30'the most unbelievably ginormous carrot anyone had ever seen,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34'Which meant Struay won the trophy after all.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37'Grannie Island looked through all her gardening books,
0:13:37 > 0:13:42'but she's still not sure how the carrot managed to grow so big.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45'I asked her if she thought Neilly Beag might be right.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48'Maybe magic can happen.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50'Of course, she didn't say yes.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52'But then again, she didn't say no.'