There is no food in the house, and because of the mess the house is in, the kitchen is unfit to cook in. The children use her as help in buying ingredients for a dinner that Olaf has ordered them to cook for his acting troupe. She lets them use her library and is generally sympathetic towards the children. However, the children find a friend in their next door neighbor, Justice Strauss. They force them to cook and clean the house, which is filthy and falling apart. Olaf and his acting troupe treat the children horribly.

Though the children doubt Olaf's legitimacy as their relative, he becomes their guardian. He gives them into the hands of their next nearest relative, Count Olaf. Poe, a banker, comes to give them the news of their parents demise and take charge of them. The Baudelaire orphans learn of their parents death while sitting on a beach. The Bad Beginning 'infobox Book ' name The Bad Beginning image image caption Paperback cover of The Bad Beginning author Lemony Snicket country America language English genre(s) Young adult, fantasy publisher Scholastic release date 1999 media type Hardback, paperback pages 176 isbnĠ439206472 preceded by - followed by The Reptile Room compounds as the series goes on, making it often ambiguous as to whether the agency is good or bad. And, Sunny, though just a baby, is good at biting things, and eventually becomes a wonderful cook. They meet many members of this secret organization that train them in different areas. In their attempts to settle down into a home, the orphans find that the problems they encounter all seem to be pointing to the same mysterious agency, the V.F.D. In each book, the children are given a different guardian which causes more problems for them. Eventually, the children are able to escape, and though the children are not still under Olaf's care, he is still intent on finding them and stealing their money.

During their stay with Count Olaf, the children are forced to perform ridiculous and cruel tasks. Olaf and his troupe become the villain of the series. The children, however, are dubious as to whether or not Olaf is actually a relative. Poe takes charge of the children and leaves them with the nearest relative, Count Olaf. The series begins with the three children losing their parents in a fire. The books are narrated by Lemony Snicket, a mysterious man who follows the story through clues passed on through a secret organization known only as the V.F.D. A Series of Unfortunate Events is the story of the three Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Claus and Sunny.

Unfortunate events