Summary
How It all Goes down:
The story started with the sweet interaction of Sara Crewe and her father, Captain Crewe. They both were sad because they have to leave each other, Sara has to leave India and be brought to a boarding school in London, Captain cCrewe needs to stay in India for he has things to take care of.
Sara arrives at Miss Minchin's Seminary for Girls, which is a fancy boarding school run by an old maid named Miss Minchin. Captain Crewe buys Sara lots of expensive clothes and toys, including a doll named Emily, before leaving for India.
Miss Minchin treats Sara as a star pupil because she's rich, but secretly she has a serious dislike of the little girl because she's intelligent and independent. Sara makes friends with a not-too-bright girl named Ermengarde and takes a little girl named Lottie under her wing. She also befriends a scullery maid named Becky and wows everyone with her impressive grasp of the French language. So far, London is a success.
On Sara's eleventh birthday, Miss Minchin plans a huge party and miss Minchin buys Sara a giant doll that she refers to as "the last doll." However, as Sara is celebrating, Captain Crewe's lawyer comes to the boarding school and gives Miss Minchin some unfortunate news—Captain Crewe has died. Penniless. With no money to pay the bills.
Minchin is angry because of the money. So she took all of her belongings, as well as the Last Doll. The only thing that was left for Sara were Emily and 1 little black dress. She somehow survives by making up fantastical stories, befriending a rat, and talking to her doll.
Despite the fact that she's poor, hungry, and cold, Sara still manages to act like a princess, dispensing charity and speaking proper English. Meanwhile, her neighbors are watching Sara, who they find very odd and sad.
Minchin is angry because of the money. So she took all of her belongings, as well as the Last Doll. The only thing that was left for Sara were Emily and 1 little black dress. She somehow survives by making up fantastical stories, befriending a rat, and talking to her doll.
Despite the fact that she's poor, hungry, and cold, Sara still manages to act like a princess, dispensing charity and speaking proper English. Meanwhile, her neighbors are watching Sara, who they find very odd and sad.
We get to see inside the Indian man and his house as well. The Indian man happens to be searching for the child of his friend, Ralph Crewe, who was also his business partner in diamond mines. Basically, the kid of this Ralph Crewe fellow is going to be rich when this Indian guy finds her. Ralph Crewe (I think you've guessed it by now) is Sara's Father. Unfortunately, the man is totally on the wrong track, searching in France and Russia.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the wall, Sara has gotten herself into big trouble. Miss Minchin punishes her severely, taking away the meager scraps of food that she's been living on. Sara goes to bed hungry and upset, but when she wakes up in the morning, she sees that her room has been magically visited and is full of nice things, a warm fire, and filling food. Magic and sorcery!
The "Magic" continues for a while and Sara and Becky are not quite so starved anymore, which bothers Miss Minchin.
Then, one day, Sara returns a monkey to her rich neighbor's house. When she gets there, the man and his lawyer realize that she's Sara Crewe, the daughter of Ralph Crewe! Sara comes to live with the man and receives her inheritance, and Miss Minchin is predictably miserable when she realizes she's made a terrible mistake in treating Sara poorly and missing out on all that money she could have had. Becky, however, came to live with Sara and became her personal servant.
The "Magic" continues for a while and Sara and Becky are not quite so starved anymore, which bothers Miss Minchin.
Then, one day, Sara returns a monkey to her rich neighbor's house. When she gets there, the man and his lawyer realize that she's Sara Crewe, the daughter of Ralph Crewe! Sara comes to live with the man and receives her inheritance, and Miss Minchin is predictably miserable when she realizes she's made a terrible mistake in treating Sara poorly and missing out on all that money she could have had. Becky, however, came to live with Sara and became her personal servant.