Young Sara Crewe, adored only child of a rich, indulgent father, arrives at Miss Minchin's Seminary for Young Ladies in a flurry of silks and satins. The envy of the pupils, who spitefully call her "the little princess," she lives a life of luxury — until her father dies and the unscrupulous Miss Minchin reduces the girl to rags and relegates her to the attic. Thrown back on her own resources, and especially to her powerful imagination, Sara demonstrates that purity of spirit can overcome material poverty, displaying the nobility of a real princess throughout her travail. The tale of how Sara's fortunes change again, as if by magic, to bless her with untold wealth and a new family has entranced generations of children since 1905.