As Sara Crewe is sent to a Seminary based in London while her father, Captain Ralph Crewe, is off to India. It saddens him yes, but for children to grow up in such environment may put the child's health in danger. As he is off to India, Sara is introduced and is shown as the star pupil of Miss Minchin, the owner of the seminary. She pretends to like Sara because she is rich-and so that she may feel welcome and comfortable, but deep down, she starts to dislike her because she feels threatened by her intelligence and independence. Sara makes friends with three little girls: Ermengarde St. John, a stupid girl; Lottie Legh, a spoiled brat; and Becky, a scullery maid. But she also gave a bad impression to the older girls like Lavinia Herbert. On Sara's eleventh birthday, though, it turned out to be quite a disaster. They hear the news of Ralph Crewe's death; an accident at the diamond mines wherein he and a friend of his were investing on. After that, everything just crumbles down for Sara. She lives in a small dusty attic next to Becky's room and makes a friend out of a mouse she met while doing it. She is then turned into a beggar that is to do jobs or errands nobody else would want to do. She noticed, while doing errands, that neighboring the seminary was a large family that took interest in her. Little did she know that the father of the family, Mr. Carmichael, was the lawyer of a man who was looking for her. The man was known as the Indian gentleman to Sara and Mr. Carrisford to the family. He was looking for Sara because he was guilty and felt that he was in the debt of his friend, Ralph Crewe. In the end, the man, Mr. Carrisford, finds Sara and-as the saying goes-all's well that ends well.