The children depart for "V.F.D." by bus(the new village where the orphans are going to be looked after). They enter the town hall and become acquainted with the Council of Elders, who proclaim that they will do all the chores for the entire village. The children are sent to live with Hector, the handyman who will feed them, clothe them, and make sure they do all the chores like cleaning the new Fowl Fountain, and he is also responsible for teaching them all of the rules of V.F.D, so they won't do any more terrible things.

Everything goes wrong for the Baudelaire's when Count Olaf turns up, and tricks the Council of Elders into thinking that he someone else...