The Bad Beginning Main Events

1) We meet the three Beaudelaire children Violet, Klaus and baby Sunny at Briny Beach, where they love to go to escape the city. This is where they receive the terrible news that their parents perished in a fire in their house. This most terrible news is delivered by Mr. Poe - a banker now in charge of the Beaudelaire Estate (which in this case means all the money Mr. and Mrs. Beaudelaire left behind for their children).

2) Mr. Poe sends the children to live with Count Olaf - as requested by their parents in the will.

3) The children are quite miserable at Count Olaf's filthy house. He only provides them with one bed and an old cardboard box as a closet. He keeps them busy with all sorts of hard chores while devising an evil plan to get his hands on the Beaudelaire fortune - which for now is in the hands of Mr. Poe and his bank, that is until Violet becomes of age, at which point the children will take control of the money.

4) The children soon befriend their new neighbor Justice Strauss - who to the children's delight owns an extensive library.

5) Count Olaf, who is an actor, invites the children to participate in a play with him. Suspicious of his sudden friendliness the children do some research and discover his evil plan. The plan is for him to trick everyone into marrying Violet to him during the play. Violet is to play the bride and Justice Strauss will play the role of the justice - making the marriage legally binding as long as Violet says "I Do" and signs the marriage document.

6) Klaus confronts Count Olaf about the plot. The count does not seem worried that the children discovered his evil plan - we soon find out why. The count is holding baby Sunny hostage.

7) The Violet's attempt to rescue baby Sunny fails and all seems lost. They are taken to the theater and the performance begins

8) Count Olaf successfully tricks everyone into playing their part in making the marriage scene in the play a legally binding union between him and Violet - giving him control over the Beaudelaire fortune. Or does he?

9) Now, I can't give you all of the Bad Beginning main events... you'll just have to pick up the book and read for yourself. And if you read the story already, I am sure you will remember the surprise ending.