Mr. Benn

Mr Benn has been invited to a fancy-dress party. He dislikes parties, but enjoys dressing up, so he looks round the shops for a costume to wear, but everywhere he finds only ordinary everyday clothes. Turning into a small lane on his way home, Mr Benn comes across a costume shop where he chooses an outfit of red knight's armour. Changing into the armour, Mr Benn passes through another door in the shop's changing room and finds himself in another world where he stumbles upon a dragon...

Mr Benn decides to find out what it is like to make people laugh, so he visits the costume shop to try on a clown outfit. But when he steps through the changing room door, instead of a circus ring, he finds himself standing in a field by a car. Mr Benn drives off down the road and soon meets a travelling circus, whose troupe asks him to join them; they all set off together - only to come to a halt when they reach a raging river. Seeing that the bridge has fallen down, each of the acts tries a different way of crossing, but all attempts fail. Mr Benn makes a suggestion: if they work together, they should be able to succeed…

Seeing some children playing in the street with balloons, Mr Benn decides on a visit to the costume shop. After donning a suit and top hat he finds himself in a crowd of spectators at a hot air balloon race. Seeing that one of the contestants is on his own, Mr Benn offers to accompany him on the flight; the man accepts, but warns that they will probably lose to a cheat named Baron Bartrum. The signal is given and the balloons try to take off ; however, only the Baron’s balloon succeeds, as the rest have all been sabotaged – including Mr Benn’s balloon, which is tied to a drainpipe. Mr Benn decides to teach the Baron a lesson: that cheaters never prosper…