A little princess

Plot Summary
Seven-year-old Sara Crewe voyages from India with her father to enroll in Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary for Young Ladies in England. Sara’s mother died when she was born. Sara was raised in India by her loving father, Captain Ralph Crewe, a wealthy English military officer. The English considered the Indian climate unhealthy for young British girls, so the British families who lived there typically sent their children to be educated in England. Since Sara and her father adore each other, they are both deeply sad when the time comes for their separation. Captain Crewe impulsively shops with Sara before leaving England, purchasing a wardrobe for her that is too luxurious and costly for a child. Captain Crewe also pays extra money to the schoolmistress, Miss Minchin, so that Sara can enjoy a private bedroom, a sitting room, a personal maid, and a carriage with a pony. Miss Minchin is outwardly respectable but inwardly greedy and unkind. She flatters Sara, knowing that her wealth and elegant appearance will enhance the school’s reputation. However, Miss Minchin secretly resents Sara’s pampered prosperity.[21,68]
Sara is an extremely intelligent and imaginative child whose privileges do not cause her to act grand or be self-centered. Sara is generous and kind, possessing a maturity beyond her years. Conceiving of a person’s circumstances as “an accident” beyond the individual’s control, Sara is able to imagine herself in another’s position and, therefore, be empathetic. Sara particularly helps the most downtrodden people in the school: Ermengarde, who is considered the school “dunce;” Lottie, who is the “baby” of the school; and Becky, who is the lowest-ranking servant at the school. Sara is repeatedly compared to a princess because of her luxuriously clothed appearance. However, she decides to secretly pretend that she is a princess as a way of ensuring that she will behave well, remain courteous and do kind things for people. Sara believes that being a princess has “nothing to do with what you look like, or what you have. It has only to do with what you think of and what you do”. Sara receives an amazing gift from her father for her 11th birthday: the Last Doll arrives with an elaborate wardrobe that was custom-designed in Paris. Sara's lavish birthday party at Miss Minchin's is interrupted by the news that Captain Crewe died suddenly after losing his fortune by investing in diamond mines. He trusted a dear friend from his school days who persuaded him to become a partner in his enterprises and then, apparently, betrayed him. When Miss Minchin learns that Sara is orphaned and impoverished, she is enraged. Miss Minchin paid for Sara’s doll and the extravagant party, expecting reimbursement from Captain Crewe. Miss Minchin’s cruelty is revealed after the death, as she removes all Sara's possessions except some old clothing and Sara’s doll, Emily, and forces her to live in a cold, dingy attic room. Miss Minchin orders Sara about as if she were a servant, ends her lessons in the schoolroom, and sends her out on errands during terrible weather.[20,208] Over a two-year period, Sara is terribly mistreated by Miss Minchin and the kitchen staff. Although Miss Minchin's younger sister, Amelia, disagrees with the way that Sara is treated, she is too timid to object. Sara is often deprived of meals, worked beyond exhaustion, and clothed in ill-fitting, threadbare clothing, even in the snowy winter. The three girls Sara befriended during her fortunate circumstances Ermengarde, Lottie, and Becky maintain their devotion to her after her misfortune. Sara relies on her vivid imagination to endure her hardships, pretending she is a prisoner in the Bastille with Becky or a princess in disguise. Sara maintains her standard of “inner princess” behavior by continuing to be courteous to those who insult her and generous to those who are even hungrier than she. One day, she finds a fourpence coin in the mud and uses it to buy buns at a bakery. Despite her own hunger, she gives five of her six buns to a girl in the street who is begging and starving. When the bakery shop’s owner witnesses Sara’s incredible act of selfless compassion, she is so emotionally moved that she invites the girl who was begging into her shop, giving her a job and a home. When Mr. Carrisford, an English gentleman who lived in India, moves into the house next door to Miss Minchin's school, Sara is reminded of the land of her birth. Unbeknownst to Sara, Mr. Carrisford was Captain Crewe's friend and partner in the diamond mines. Mr. Carrisford agonizes that Captain Crewe died believing that he betrayed and ruined him. However, Mr. Carrisford was ill in the hospital at that time, and the fortune of the diamond mines was restored later. He is haunted by a dream in which Crewe asks him to find his lost daughter. Mr. Carrisford’s health is suffering because of his guilt. He sends his lawyer, Mr. Carmichael, to try to find Crewe’s daughter so he can restore her fortune. He knows only that Mr. Crewe had a child whose mother was French, so he assumes she was sent to a Paris school. Sara encounters Ram Dass, Mr. Carrisford’s Indian servant, when they view the sunset from neighboring attic windows. Ram Dass is delighted when friendly Sara speaks in Hindustani to him. When he captures his escaped pet monkey, he observes Sara’s impoverished living conditions. Ram Dass notices Sara’s unusual compassion for all living things, and he tells his employer about her situation. Together, the men construct a plan to carry hot suppers and other comforts across the roof to Sara’s attic room while she sleeps. Sara's morale and health improve when she realizes that she has a mysterious friend who sends restorative gifts. When Sara receives two packages addressed to her containing costly, warm clothing from an anonymous benefactor, Miss Minchin becomes fearful that Sara might have a wealthy relative and starts to treat her better, allowing her to attend classes again.
One night, the monkey again escapes to Sara's attic room. When Sara visits Mr. Carrisford's house the next morning to return the animal, her identity as Captain Crewe’s daughter is finally discovered. Sara learns that Mr. Carrisford is her father’s school friend and has looked for her for two years. Sara will now be a wealthy heiress, as Mr. Carrisford restores her father’s lost fortune from the diamond mines to her. When Miss Minchin threatens that Sara must return to her school, Mr. Carrisford’s lawyer informs her that Sara will remain with her guardian, Mr. Carrisford, instead. Sara’s friend Ermengarde receives a letter from Sara inviting her to visit and relating the marvelous news. Sara does not forget the scullery maid Becky, inviting her to be her attendant at Mr. Carrisford’s residence. Mr. Carrisford becomes a father figure to Sara, and he regains his health. Remembering her hunger, the wealthy Sara returns to the bakery where she bought the buns, arranging to pay for food to be handed out to needy children. Captain Richard Crewe, a wealthy English widower, enrolls his daughter, who has previously lived in India, at Miss Minchin's girls' boarding school in London to prepare her for her future life in society. Hook is madly in love with his daughter, so he demands and pays for a special attitude towards his daughter, so he demands a separate room for her with expensive filling, his own governess and a separate carriage for the ride. The headmistress, Miss Minchin, does not love Sarah in her heart, but she does not show it in public, but rather praises her, because her father is so rich. Despite her status, Sarah is not a smart-ass, but on the contrary, she is very calm, well-mannered and kind. She befriends Ermengarde, the proud and haughty Lavinia, Lottie, a six-year-old girl, and Becky, the quiet buffet servant. Sarah develops a reputation as a kind and generous "princess".
After some time, Sarah's birthday comes, and she celebrates it with a chic banquet at Miss Minchin's. All her friends and classmates come to the celebration. As soon as the holiday ends, Miss Minchin learns of the unfortunate demise of Captain Cruve, resulting in the loss of his entire fortune due to investing all his money in her friend's diamond mine business. Sarah becomes destitute, and Miss Minchin is left with unpaid bills for tuition, furnishing a room, and organizing Sarah's birthday party. Enraged, Miss Minchin takes everything from Sarah, leaving her with only a few worn dresses and a doll. She moves her to a cold and poorly furnished room, forcing her to work off the money spent on her as an errand girl. Over the next few years, Sarah's work is used by both Miss Minchin and her subordinates, all but Becky. Sarah is starving, she works hard, she is sent on errands in any weather, her clothes are worn and out of size, she is deprived of a proper bed. Despite the hardships, Sarah feels the support of her friends and uses her imagination, imagining that she is either a prisoner in the Bastille or a princess disguised as a servant. Sarah remains kind and courteous to everyone, even those who treat her badly. One day she finds a coin on the street and buys buns with it, but despite the fact that she herself is very hungry, Sarah gives most of it to another beggar girl dressed in rags, as she is more hungry. The bread seller sees this and wants to reward Sarah, but she has already left and the seller gives the beggar woman more bread.
Meanwhile, Rem Das is introduced to Sarah when his pet monkey runs off to Sarah's room. After Rem climbed over the roof of the house to get into Sarah's apartment for his monkey, he tells Carisford about Sarah's living conditions. Carisford and Rem Das buy warm blankets, nice furniture, food and other gifts for Sarah while she sleeps or is not at home. Sarah is happy and feeling better after receiving gifts from a mysterious benefactor, but she doesn't know who it is; Rem Das and Carisford are also unaware that they are helping Kruva's daughter. When Carisford sends Sarah a new, expensive dress for her size, Miss Minchin sees this and decides that Sarah has got rich relatives who are secretly helping her. Miss Minchin begins to treat Sarah better, allowing her to attend classes instead of doing dirty work. One night, the monkey runs off into Sarah's room again, and Sarah goes to Carisford the next morning to retrieve it. When Sarah accidentally reveals that she was born in India, they begin to question her, and realize that she is the daughter of Captain Beak, whom they have been searching for so long without success. Sarah, in turn, learns that Carisford was a friend of her father and that mysterious stranger who has been giving her gifts lately. She also learns that the mines have brought huge profits and now she can count on her father's share of the profits. When an angry Miss Minchin shows up to take Sarah away, she is informed that Sarah will now live with Carisford and her entire fortune has been returned to her, and even increased. When Miss Minchin finds out about this, she tries to talk her into going back to school "the princess she was". But when Sarah refuses, Miss Minchin threatens her that now she won't see any of her friends. To this, Carisford replies to her that she will see anyone she wants, because none of the parents will be able to refuse the visit of the heiress of the fortune from the diamond mines. Miss Minchin goes home, having a nervous breakdown. Sarah invites Becky to live with her as a governess, and offers much better conditions than Miss Minchin had. Carisford becomes a second father to Sarah and recovers quickly. Finally, Sarah goes to the baker's shop, where she once bought buns, and agrees with him that he will feed all the hungry children with bread, and she will send him money for this. Sarah also meets a girl with whom she once shared bread, now she works as a baker's assistant, receiving a steady income and having good food, clothes and a roof over her head.