Chapter 5 Summary

The children spend their morning working through their assigned chores, which include chopping enough firewood for a dozen homes. They try to come up with a plan to escape Olaf's clutches and finally decide to visit Mr. Poe. They finish chopping wood and go on a search through the city to find Mr. Poe's bank.

After stopping at every bank in town, the orphans finally find Mr. Poe. However, he is extremely busy and doesn't seem to very concerned with their treatment. Klaus displays his bruise as proof of Olaf's ill treatment. Mr. Poe informs Klaus that Olaf is acting "in loco parentis," which means acting as a parent. This gives Olaf the right to treat the Baudelaires in this manner. Mr. Poe hustles the children out of his office without offering the least bit of assistance. The children return home and stop...