Chapters 1-3 Summary

When Ella is born, the fairy Lucinda decides to give her the magical gift of obedience so that she will always be a good little girl. This gift backfires into a curse, since Ella is forced to obey even the most casual order, no matter who tells her what to do.

The day baby Eleanor, called Ella, is born, Lucinda the eccentric fairy is there waiting to give a birth gift to the child. When she notices how much Ella cries, Lucinda decides that the child will be happier if she has an obedient disposition, and besides, little girls are supposed to obey their elders. Lucinda pronounces that Ella will always be obedient, and tells her to stop crying. The baby stops crying. Lady Eleanor, the mother, and Mandy, the cook, are horrified, but Lucinda refuses to undo her gift. They...