The winter was very bad. It was cold and wet every day. Sometimes Sara Crewe walked through the snow to do her errands (short trips to buy things or take messages). Other days, the snow melted and turned into brown mud. Often there was a thick fog (a low, thick cloud that makes it hard to see). On those days, the street lamps stayed on all day. London looked dark and sad.
The house next door looked warm and comfortable. Sara Crewe could see the Large Family in their bright rooms. But the attic room where Sara Crewe lived was very cold. She could not see the sun or the stars. The clouds were always gray. At four o'clock in the afternoon, it was already dark. Sara Crewe had to use a candle to see in her room.
The cooks in the kitchen were always angry. They were very mean to Becky. Becky was the young servant girl. She worked very hard all day. One night, Becky went into the attic to see Sara Crewe. Becky looked very tired.
Becky said to Sara Crewe, "I am only happy because of you. We pretend this house is a prison (a place where people must stay because they did something bad). You are the prisoner in the next room. Miss Minchin is the guard. She has big keys. Tell me more stories about our prison, please."
Sara Crewe shivered because she was cold. She said, "Let us pretend something warmer. Put your blanket around you. I will tell you about a tropical forest (a very hot place with many trees and rain). The monkey from the house next door lived there. He climbed tall trees and ate coconuts. I think he is sad because he misses his home."
Becky felt better. She liked the stories. Sara Crewe wrapped a blanket around her own body. Sara Crewe said, "When your body is cold and hungry, you must use your mind. You must think of something else. I practice this every day. It is becoming easier."
Sara Crewe looked at Becky. Sara Crewe said, "When things are horrible, I pretend I am a princess. I say to myself: I am a princess. Nothing can hurt me. This help me forget the cold."
Sara Crewe had a very difficult day soon after. It rained for many days. The streets were full of cold mud and gray mist. Sara Crewe went out many times to do errands. Her old clothes were very wet. Her shoes were broken and full of water.
Miss Minchin was angry at Sara Crewe. Miss Minchin did not give Sara Crewe any dinner. Sara Crewe was very cold and very hungry. She walked in the street and tried to pretend. She tried to think of other things. This was very hard because she was so tired.
Sara Crewe said to herself, "Suppose I have dry clothes. Suppose I have good shoes and a warm coat. And suppose I find some money. I could go to a bakery and buy hot buns. I could eat them all."
Then, a strange thing happened. Sara Crewe had to cross a muddy street. She looked down at the ground. She saw something bright in the mud. It was a silver coin. It was a fourpenny piece (a small silver coin from the past).
Sara Crewe picked up the coin. Her hand was red and blue from the cold. She said, "It is true! I found money!" She looked at the shop in front of her. It was a bakery. A kind woman was putting hot buns in the window. The buns were large and sweet.
The smell of the bread was wonderful. Sara Crewe felt weak because she was so hungry. She knew she could use the money. The coin was dirty, so it was on the ground for a long time. The person who lost it was gone.
Sara Crewe went to the shop. She saw a small girl sitting on the steps. The girl was a beggar (a person who has no money and asks for help). The girl wore rags (old, torn clothes). She had no shoes. Her face was dirty and her eyes looked very hungry.
Sara Crewe felt sorry for the girl. Sara Crewe thought, "This girl is even hungrier than I am." The girl looked at Sara Crewe but did not move. The girl was used to people being mean to her.
Sara Crewe asked the girl, "Are you hungry?" The girl answered in a low voice, "Yes. I did not eat today. I have no food." Sara Crewe felt very sad. She thought about being a princess. A princess must share her food with poor people.
Sara Crewe went into the bakery. The shop was warm and smelled like sugar. Sara Crewe showed the coin to the woman. Sara Crewe asked, "Did you lose this silver money?" The woman looked at Sara Crewe’s wet clothes. She said, "No. You found it. You can keep it."
Sara Crewe said, "I want to buy four buns, please." Each bun cost one penny. The woman went to the window. She put the buns in a paper bag. But the woman put six buns in the bag, not four.
Sara Crewe said, "I only have money for four buns." The kind woman smiled. She said, "I will give you two extra buns for free. You look very hungry." Sara Crewe thanked the woman. She wanted to tell the woman about the poor girl outside. But other customers came in, so Sara Crewe went out.
The beggar girl was still on the steps. She was crying. Sara Crewe took a hot bun out of the bag. She gave it to the girl. Sara Crewe said, "Eat this. It is hot and good." The girl was surprised. She took the bun and ate it very fast.
Sara Crewe gave the girl three more buns. Then she gave the girl a fifth bun. Sara Crewe only kept one bun for herself. The girl was too hungry to say thank you. She ate the buns like a hungry animal. Sara Crewe said, "Goodbye," and walked away.
The woman in the bakery looked out of the window. She saw Sara Crewe give the buns to the beggar. The woman was very surprised. She thought, "That girl was hungry too, but she gave her food away. Why did she do that?"
The woman went to the door. She called the beggar girl inside. She said, "Come in and get warm. When you are very hungry, you can come here. I will give you bread because of that other girl."
Sara Crewe walked home. She ate her one bun slowly. She tried to pretend it was a big dinner. It was dark when she reached the house next door. She saw the Large Family. There was a lot of noise and excitement.
The father of the family was Mr. Carmichael. He was going on a long journey. A brougham (a carriage with four wheels pulled by horses) stood in front of the door. The children were dancing and kissing their father. They were sad he was leaving.
Sara Crewe watched them. She thought, "I will miss him too. I like to watch his happy family." Mr. Carmichael walked to the carriage. His children asked him about his trip. They asked if he was going to see the King.
Mr. Carmichael laughed. He said, "I am going to Moscow. It is a city in Russia. I must go. I want to stay here with you, but I have work to do." He got into the carriage and drove away.
The children went back inside the house. One of the girls said, "I saw that poor girl from the school. She was wet and cold. The school sends her out in the rain every day."
Sara Crewe went down the steps to Miss Minchin’s kitchen. She felt very weak. She did not know that Mr. Carmichael was going to Moscow for a special reason. He was going there to look for the daughter of Captain Crewe. He was looking for Sara Crewe.