Chapter 1 Summary

Mr. Poe and the Baudelaires, Violet, Klaus and Sunny, are on their way to the children's new guardian. After the dismal failure of their previous guardian, the children do not know what to expect from this new adventure. They are traveling by train to a small town called Paltryville. Paltryville is a good name for this town. There are no attractions or anything particularly special about the place. It is, in a word, a paltry town.

The children gaze out at the Finite Forest as the train nears their destination. Violet is trying to concentrate on inventing a device that will allow someone to climb even the tallest tree and her hair is pulled back with a ribbon to help her think. Klaus watches the floor of the forest as the train passes by, wondering what kind of moss can be found in...