This is a story about three siblings named Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire whose
wealthy parents are killed in a fire.
The children are forced to live with their distant relative, Count Olaf, an actor who
lives in a rundown house.
Count Olaf forces the children to do chores all day, including cook for him and his acting
friends.
The children try to get help from Mr. Poe, a banker and family friend, and Justice Strauss,
a judge and neighbor, but no one seems to help.
One day, Count Olaf asks the children if they would be in one of his plays and they agree.
However, they suspect that Count Olaf is using the play as a cover to legally marry Violet
so that he can control the Baudelaire fortune.
Violet and Klaus confront Count Olaf about his plan, but there is nothing they can do
about it because Count Olaf is holding Sunny hostage atop a tower in a birdcage.
Violet tries to rescue Sunny by climbing the tower with her grappling hook, but is found
out.
All three children are locked in the tower until the performance and Count Olaf warns
that if Violet doesn’t go through with the wedding, he will drop Sunny from the tower.
The performance goes as planned with the marriage, as Violet says “I do” and signs a legal
document to make the marriage between Count Olaf and herself real.
Count Olaf then stops the performance and reveals his grand plan to control the Baudelaire
fortune.
Everyone is shocked; however, Violet points out that she signed the document with her
left hand, meaning the marriage is not valid.
In the end, Sunny is returned safely and Count Olaf and his friends escape.