A COLLECTION OF MISFORTUNATE HAPPENINGS

BOOK THE FIRST-THE SORRY START

CHAPTER ONE

Often in your life you are fleeing from something-or someone, as I am doing right now. You may think there is nowhere in the world to run to, or perhaps no one to share your secrets with. For example, just last week I trusted a man I had assigned to deliver the manuscript of this story to my kind editor, but, sadly, a team of men dressed in ballerina outfits tricked him into leaping into a river. That marks the last time I have, or ever will again, hire blind help. Luckily, the manuscript was recovered, though it was very soggy and smelled of fish. That will explain why the w rds re o ewh t f d d. Vivian Beausinclair and her siblings were not always fleeing from something-or someone, as I told you I was nine lines ago, and, to be sure, I am going to tell you that I still am. They were very rich and their parents loved them very much, and they had had a happy life. But far away, someone was plotting to turn their lives around-so that they faced south in stead of north-and steal their fortune. This someone's name was Count r.

Vivian calculated the distance between her second story bedroom's balcony and the deep pool in her backyard. You may be wondering why she would be doing such a thing as calculating the distance between her second story bedroom's balcony and the deep pool in her backyard, and if you are, it was merely because she loved doing dangerous stunts and hoped to be a stuntwoman when she grew up.

"No, it's just not worth the risk, Sandra," Vivian said to her baby sister as she came to the conclusion that it was just not worth the risk.

"Gleegoop?" Sandra asked, in her own baby language.

"Nope, I'm afraid we can't climb it either." Vivian replied. You also may be wondering right now why a small baby named Sandra whom had invented her own baby language would want to climb up to a second story balcony. So was I when I first began researching the lives of the Beausinclairs, but I have finally decided that this baby named Sandra, whom had invented her own baby language, had an eternally unsatisfied appetite for climbing. Suddenly, Klyde, the middle child in the Beausinclair family, rushed in with something urgent to tell to his sisters.

"I have something urgent to tell you!" he exclaimed. "Come quick!" There is no need to tell most of you that Vivian scooped Sandra up and they ran down the stairs and outside, closely following their brother, but, for those who like very thorough historical accounts, I will say this: Vivian scooped Sandra up and they ran down the stairs and outside, closely following their brother.

"Shhh! Be quiet! We're near it." Klyde quietly said. His sisters followed his instructions and quietly snuck over to were he was standing, being careful to be very quiet. "It's up there. To the left." Klyde whispered quietly as he handed his binoculars to Vivian. If you are again wondering about Klyde's latest actions, then I must tell you that he was an expert hunter and tracker, and he loved nature.

"Do you mean that right there?" Vivian asked, pointing up into the sky.

"No, that's just a jet, it's nothing worth looking at. This is worth looking at." Klyde said, while pointing quietly into a particularly quiet part of the forest that surrounded their mansion.

"Augi." proclaimed Sandra, agreeing with her brother.

"It certainly is." marveled Vivian. And it certainly was. W hat they were looking at was a Peregrine Falcon-a very rare, quiet bird. Suddenly, out of the blue, the children heard a devastating noise. And I am sorry to say that this noise was very, very, far away from anything quiet at all.