Somewhere in America, there was a little girl called Marinette, a fair child wearing a short sleeved red dress, an apron, and a scarf in her dark hair. She was looking for work to earn money. She and her family had been traveling on a rag ship from France to America hoping for a new life. Though France was a beautiful country where they lived there was a terrible famine. Her father being a baker needed wheat and flour for their products but both were declining. So her parents saved up all their money to catch the first ship to America. But when they arrived they found it very difficult to find suitable work.

Her father Tom tried to get hired by the nearest baker but he was turned away because they feared he was dirty and diseased. So he got a low paying job at a a soup kitchen while her mother Sabine worked in a shirt factory. They were so poor that they lived in a shack, wearing the same clothes everyday, washing them again and again in a well, they also used the well's water for bathing. Their dinners consisted of bread crust and tasteless broth. The couple worked hard everyday but they made very little money so little that they couldn't even send Marinette to school. So everyday when they left for work they would live at her home. But Marinette wanted to help so she wondered the streets looking for work.

"Well we don't usually accept child labor." Said Ms. Medeleiev, a cranky woman who hired, fired, and managed the help. "But I suppose every wealthy household needs a maid but you are to do exactly what you're told and do it well. One complaint from any of my clients and I'll throw you back on the streets, is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Now Mr. Bourgeois wants his floor scrubbed and polished by night fall, can you do that?"

"I'll try."

From that moment on, Marinette spent every day working on her hands and knees, saving her money. But she only made two coins because she had to give most of her money to Ms. Mendeleiev. Despite the hardships she and her family faced, she never lost hope of someday living a better life. To Ms. Mendeleiev and the people she cleaned for she was just a dirty servant girl but to her mother and father she was a princess and that was good enough for her.

Not too far from where she was on a hilltop there lived Adrien Agreste. His father Gabriel owned the local shirt factory here so that made his family filthy rich. The little boy never worked a day in his life and his mother Estelle spoiled him but he was no where near selfish or bratty. Everyday Gabriel would go to work to manage the factory while he was gone Estelle would sit in the garden wearing her pastel blue dress and bonnet watching the flowers bloom or reading a good book, Adrien would just go to school in his usual black jacket and cap then come home to play outside. They had a servant named Natalie who did all the cooking and cleaning, she also tended to Adrien when his mother was away shopping.

"Mother can I please go with you into the city?" He asked his mother one day.

"Well I don't know. The city is can be a very dangerous place, with so many people I might lose you." Estelle was very protective of her son especially since her husband was always busy meaning there wasn't a man around the house that much.

"But I'm bored. Please."

"Well...Alright but stay close to me, understand? And no running off."

"Alright."

Adrien tried to stay close but being a curious child he couldn't help but want to look around. He waited til his mother was too distracted with purchasing the groceries and then quietly wandered off.

"I won't go too far." He thought.

The town was awfully busy today, there were lots of merchants, fishermen, and other people trying to sell goods for a living.

"Excuse me sir, would you like a quilt? It was hand stitched by me and my daughter." Adrien walked over toward a woman (Sabine) trying to sell a lovely quilt to a man but she had no luck. "Please sir! I need the money."

"Sorry lady." The man said walking away.

"How much for the quilt?" Adrien asked her. He pulled a couple of coins from his pocket. "I'll buy it."

"That's very sweet of you young man but I can't take your money. Save it for something much more special." Sabine then noticed he was alone. "My goodness where are your mother and father? You shouldn't be out here alone."

"Adrien!" Called the worried voice of Estelle. "Adrien! Where are you?! Where's my boy?!"

"Over here ma'am!" Sabine called.

"Oh Adrien! Thank God!" Estelle ran over to them and hugged the boy. "You scared me half to death! I told not to run off!"

"Mother I'm fine."

"Oh my poor baby! If I ever lost you! Did you hurt yourself? Did somebody hurt you?"

"I'm alright Mother."

"He's just fine ma'am." Sabine said.

"Thank you for watching him. I'm terribly sorry for making such a scene it's just that...well I-"

"I understand. I have a little girl who I adore and when I found out she was wondering the streets for work I was terrified."

"A child looking for work? Shouldn't she be in school?"

"She would if we could afford it. My husband and I are completely against her working as a maid but she insisted she wanted to help so my husband takes her to work and then brings her home."

"Oh...I see I'm very sorry."

"It's alright."

"That's a very beautiful quilt."

"Thank you my daughter and I made it."

"Is it for sale?"

"Yes."

"I'll take it."

"Really? Oh thank you, thank you so much."

Estelle handed her the money and took the quilt. Then she and her son decided to go home. Normally if Adrien ever ran off like today she would've scolded her son the whole way back to their house but instead she spent the whole trip thinking about how sad it must be for a little girl to work everyday.