Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This is all Rogers and Hammerstein's work and the screen writers. No Copyright infringement intended.

I also acknowledge getting ideas and facts from the book upon which the movie and the play were based; The Story of the Trapp Family Singers; also from Agathe von Trapp's autobiography; Memories Before and After The Sound of Music; particularly the facts in the first paragraph of the prologue.

Prologue

After the Great War, Georg and Agathe had lived with relatives. Georg thought it was time for him to provide a home for his family. In a small town north of Vienna, Georg and Agathe moved to a castle, an actual castle. It was owned by Agathe's younger brother; having been the summer residence of Maria Theresa the empress of Austria from 1771 to 1780. They were only there a year when the Scarlet Fever epidemic hit the town; only Marta had escaped the illness. Agathe personally nursed them all back to health but she could not save herself. After battling the illness for eight months she died and with her Georg's heart.

He was devastated, first Austria had lost the war in which he had so valiantly fought, in the process of losing, Austria lost its coastline and he lost his Navy; leaving him a broken and extremely grief filled man.

Two of his children, Brigitta and Friedrich were left with lifetime disabilities from the Scarlet Fever; they both had damaged hearts. Friedrich's only bothered him when he tried to participate in a sport; that's why he became such a good student and planned to be a doctor. He wanted to know why his mama had died.

Brigitta's heart was severely damaged; she had spent many months confined to bed. Her father would carry her down stairs for meals sometimes or to go outside in the good weather and sit on the veranda. Brigitta became an avid reader. Kurt had become her faithful companion. Even though he loved to run around the field kicking a ball; he still spent hours with her. Over the next two years she did grow stronger and no longer had to be confined to bed.

Georg's heart continued to ache; his love for Agathe had been so great. There was nowhere in the castle where he didn't feel her presence. He never slept in their bedroom again; the sofa in his study was his bed. He did his best to hide his grief from the children but they were very perceptive children, especially Brigitta, they all knew.

Moving

The only choice left for Georg was to move his family to a new home where Agathe's presence would not haunt him. A large villa in Aigen, a community not far from the city of Salzburg was purchased. For six months the home and the land were prepared for the family including wiring it for electricity.

By August, everything was ready; the family made the trip from their home north of Vienna to what Georg hoped would be a new beginning for everyone. The children who had always been taught at home would be enrolled in local schools for the first time.

Liesl and Friedrich rode silently in the car when their father took them to meet the Headmaster of the Secondary School. After meeting Headmaster Herr Fogle they were both less apprehensive. He was very kind and understanding; but he did tell Georg; "they will need to pass last years exams before they can be placed in the next grade. I need to be sure they qualify."

Georg had told him. "I will review with them personally, I'm sure they will do well."

For the next week the two spent a lot of time with their father, preparing. They were most relieved when they both received their letters of acceptance.

It was different for the others; the primary school had more flexibility; if a student was weak in one subject they could spend time in a lower grade and review the subject. Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta and Marta all attended the same school. Gretl was only five; she had to wait another year to begin school.

By seven-thirty in the morning, the second week in September the villa became very quiet, Georg decided to drive his children to their schools for the first couple of days, but they would walk home for lunch and then back again for the afternoon classes.

After the first week, Frau Schmidt had some troubling news for the Captain. She told him. "Brigitta is having trouble breathing and has a fever. I'm putting her to bed."

"Please stay with her and be sure she is resting comfortably. Do you think I should call the doctor?"

"I don't think so Captain; she only needs to rest."

Sadly all this exercise was too much for Brigitta and she had a terrible cold; it was back to bed for her until she recuperated. It turned out to be a lengthy healing process; she would not be able to return to school; she would need a private teacher.

In hopes of helping her recover, she was moved to a large sunny bedroom on the third floor; with her own balcony. Once again her father would assist her down the stairs for most meals and Kurt would visit her often.

Until a teacher was found Brigitta returned to her books; she was constantly asking her father to bring up new ones from his library in his study. Her favorite book was a book of short stories her aunt had given her for her tenth birthday; included was this one; "The Lost Orphan."

A little girl was born into a family of two loving parents; they named her Augusta after her grandmother. Grandmother Augusta came to care for her daughter who was quite ill; but the high fever never left the young mother and her lungs filled until she could no longer breathe and she died.

Grandmother Augusta was too old to care for an active two year old, Augusta's father, Karl, asked a distant cousin to take her. He was so filled with grief, he traveled to try and forget.

Augusta would sometimes visit her father but he was ill prepared for his daughter; everytime he looked at her all he saw was his wife's face. One day he sat down in his chair never to wake again. Some said he died of a broken heart.

The young girl was sent to live with a guardian; that's when everything changed. He moved her from home to home, she felt lost. As a teenager she would spend many hours in the mountains; it was only there she felt at home. It was a beautiful sunny day when God spoke to the young girl; the next day she wandered into a church and for the first time she felt safe and she wanted to thank Him.

The lost orphan eventually found her way to the gate of an Abbey and a kind caring Reverend Mother admitted her to the postulant. The young girl thought she had found her home; but the Reverend Mother insisted she take her time and pray and wait. She's still waiting but she is sure God will take care of her.

Kurt came up to visit her before his bedtime; he found her weeping.

"Brigitta, why so sad?"

"Oh Kurt, I just read the saddest story. The father in the story is just like Father. His wife died and then he died from a broken heart. We can't let that happen to Father. We must find a way to make Father happy."

"Brigitta, that's only a story."

"It could be true, you don't know."

"I suppose it could happen, but I don't want to think that way."

"We still need to find a way to make him happy. How's school Kurt?"

"It's nice, we have sports time, you know I like that."

"I hope father finds me a teacher soon."

"He will. I better go. Goodnight Brigitta."

"Goodnight Kurt."