PART 1: READING

Chapter 8

Klaus stayed up all night reading, which was normally something he loved to do. Back
when his parents were alive, Klaus used to take a flashlight to bed with him and hide
under the covers, reading until he couldn’t keep his eyes open. Some mornings, his
father would come into Klaus’s room to wake him up and find him asleep, still clutching
his flashlight in one hand and his book in the other. But on this particular night, of
course, the circumstances were much different.

Klaus stood by the window, squinting as he read his smuggled book by the moonlight
that trickled into the room. He occasionally glanced at his sisters. Violet was sleeping
fitfully—a word which here means “with much tossing and turning”—on the lumpy bed,
and Sunny had wormed her way into the pile of curtains so that she just looked like a
small heap of cloth. Klaus had not told his siblings about the book, because he didn’t
want to give them false hope. He wasn’t sure the book would help them out of their
dilemma.

The book was long, and difficult to read, and Klaus became more and more tired as the
night wore on. Occasionally his eyes would close. He found himself reading the same
sentence over and over. He found himself reading the same sentence over and over. He
found himself reading the same sentence over and over. But then he would remember
the way the hook-hands of Count Olaf’s associate had glinted in the library, and would
imagine them tearing into his flesh, and he would wake right up and continue reading.
He found a small scrap of paper and tore it into strips, which he used to mark significant
parts of the book.

By the time the light outside grew gray with the approaching dawn, Klaus had found out
all he needed to know. His hopes rose along with the sun. Finally, when the first few
birds began to sing, Klaus tiptoed to the door of the bedroom and eased it open quietly,
careful not to wake the restless Violet or Sunny, who was still hidden in the pile of
curtains. Then he went to the kitchen and sat and waited for Count Olaf.
He didn’t have to wait long before he heard Olaf tromping down the tower stairs. When
Count Olaf walked into the kitchen, he saw Klaus sitting at the table and smirked, a
word which here means “smiled in an unfriendly, phony way.”

“Hello, orphan,” he said. “You’re up early.”

Klaus’s heart was beating fast, but he felt calm on the outside, as if he had on a layer of
invisible armour. “I’ve been up all night,” he said, “reading this book.” He put the book out
on the table so Olaf could see it. “It’s called Nuptial Law,” Klaus said, “and I learned many
interesting things while reading it.”
Count Olaf had taken out a bottle of wine to pour himself some breakfast, but when he
saw the book he stopped, and sat down.

“The word ‘nuptial,’” Klaus said, “means ‘relating to marriage.’”

“I know what the word means,” Count Olaf growled. “Where did you get that book?”

“From Justice Strauss’s library,” Klaus said. “But that’s not important. What’s important is
that I have found out your plan.”
“Is that so?” Count Olaf said, his one eyebrow raising. “And what is my plan, you little
runt?”

Klaus ignored the insult and opened the book to where one of the scraps of paper was
marking his place. “‘The laws of marriage in this community are very simple,’” he read
out loud. “‘The requirements are as follows: the presence of a judge, a statement of “I
do” by both the bride and the groom, and the signing of an explanatory document in the
bride’s own hand.’” Klaus put down the book and pointed at Count Olaf. “If my sister says
‘I do’ and signs a piece of paper, while Justice Strauss is in the room, then she is legally
married. This play you’re putting on shouldn’t be called The Marvellous Marriage. It
should be called The Menacing Marriage. You’re not going to marry Violet
figuratively—you’re going to marry her literally! This play won’t be pretend; it will be real
and legally binding.”

Count Olaf laughed a rough, hoarse laugh. “Your sister isn’t old enough to get married.”

“She can get married if she has the permission of her legal guardian, acting in loco
parentis,” Klaus said. “I read that, too. You can’t fool me.”

“Why in the world would I want to actually marry your sister?” Count Olaf asked. “It is
true she is very pretty, but a man like myself can acquire any number of beautiful
women.”

Klaus turned to a different section of Nuptial Law. “‘A legal husband,’” he read out loud,
“‘has the right to control any money in the possession of his legal wife.’” Klaus gazed at
Count Olaf in triumph. “You’re going to marry my sister to gain control of the Baudelaire
fortune! Or at least, that’s what you planned to do. But when I show this information to
Mr. Poe, your play will not be performed, and you will go to jail!”

Count Olaf’s eyes grew very shiny, but he continued to smirk at Klaus. This was
surprising. Klaus had guessed that once he announced what he knew, this dreadful man
would have been very angry, even violent. After all, he’d had a furious outburst just
because he’d wanted roast beef instead of puttanesca sauce. Surely he’d be even more
enraged to have his plan
discovered. But Count Olaf just sat there as calmly as if they were discussing the
weather.

“I guess you’ve found me out,” Olaf said simply. “I suppose you’re right: I’ll go to prison,
and you and the other orphans will go free. Now, why don’t you run up to your room and
wake your sisters? I’m sure they’ll want to know all about your grand victory over my
evil ways.”

Klaus looked closely at Count Olaf, who was continuing to smile as if he had just told a
clever joke. Why wasn’t he threatening Klaus in anger, or tearing his hair out in
frustration, or running to pack his clothes and escape? This wasn’t happening at all the
way Klaus had pictured it.
“Well, I will go tell my sisters,” he said, and walked back into his bedroom. Violet was still
dozing on the bed and Sunny was still hidden beneath the curtains. Klaus woke Violet up
first.

“I stayed up all night reading,” Klaus said breathlessly, as his sister opened her eyes, “and
I discovered what Count Olaf is up to. He plans to marry you for real, when you and
Justice Strauss and everyone all think it’s just a play, and once he’s your husband he’ll
have control of our parents’ money and he can dispose of us.”

“How can he marry me for real?” Violet asked. “It’s only a play.”

“The only legal requirements of marriage in this community,” Klaus explained, holding
up Nuptial Law to show his sister where he’d learned the information, “are your saying ‘I
do,’ and signing a document in your own hand in the presence of a judge—like Justice
Strauss!”

“But surely I’m not old enough to get married,” Violet said. “I’m only fourteen.”

“Girls under the age of eighteen,” Klaus said, flipping to another part of the book,

“can marry if they have the permission of their legal guardian. That’s Count Olaf.”

“Oh no!” Violet cried. “What can we do?”

“We can show this to Mr. Poe,” Klaus said, pointing to the book, “and he will finally
believe us that Count Olaf is up to no good. Quick, get dressed while I wake up Sunny,
and we can be at the bank by the time it opens.”

Violet, who usually moved slowly in the mornings, nodded and immediately got out of
bed and went to the cardboard box to find some proper clothing. Klaus walked over to
the lump of curtains to wake up his younger sister.
“Sunny,” he called out kindly, putting his hand on where he thought his sister’s head was.
“Sunny.”

There was no answer. Klaus called out “Sunny” again, and pulled away the top fold of the
curtains to wake up the youngest Baudelaire child. “Sunny,” he said, but then he
stopped. For underneath the curtain was nothing but another curtain. He moved aside
all the layers, but his little sister was nowhere to be found. “Sunny!” he yelled, looking
around the room. Violet dropped the dress she was holding and began to help him
search. They looked in every corner, under the bed, and even inside the cardboard box.
But Sunny was gone.

“Where can she be?” Violet asked worriedly. “She’s not the type to run off.”

“Where can she be indeed?” said a voice behind them, and the two children turned
around. Count Olaf was standing in the doorway, watching Violet and Klaus as they
searched the room. His eyes were shining brighter than they ever had, and he was still
smiling like he’d just uttered a joke.

PART 2: Comprehension Questions

According to the passage, why did Klaus keep his reading of the book a secret from his
siblings?

A) He feared they would interrupt him.

B) He didn't want to give them false hope.
C) He wanted to surprise them with his discovery.
D) He was afraid they would damage the book.

What made Klaus wake up whenever he felt drowsy while reading?

A) The moonlight shining through the window

B) Thoughts of Count Olaf's menacing associate
C) The sound of his sisters tossing and turning
D) Klaus's fear of failing to uncover the truth

How did Klaus prepare to confront Count Olaf with his discovery?

A) By hiding the book

B) By waking his sisters first
C) By tearing scraps of paper
D) By going to the kitchen to wait
What realisation dawned upon Klaus as he confronted Count Olaf?

A) Count Olaf was unaware of his plan.

B) Count Olaf would go to jail if exposed.
C) Count Olaf was more cunning than he expected.
D) Count Olaf had already predicted his actions.

What strategy did Klaus plan to employ with Mr. Poe regarding Count Olaf's scheme?

A) To seek immediate police intervention

B) To convince him using evidence from the book
C) To run away with his sisters to avoid capture
D) To confront Count Olaf directly in front of him

How did Violet react to Klaus's revelation about Count Olaf's plan?

A) She immediately went to pack her belongings.

B) She questioned the legality of the situation.
C) She expressed concern for Sunny's safety.
D) She began to search for Sunny with Klaus.

What did Klaus find instead of Sunny when he woke up?

A) A pile of clothing
B) Another layer of curtains
C) A note from Count Olaf
D) A secret passageway

How did Klaus feel when he couldn't find Sunny?

A) Panicked and desperate

B) Calm and collected
C) Angry and frustrated
D) Sad and defeated

Why was Count Olaf unfazed by Klaus's confrontation?

A) He was confident in his ability to deceive.

B) He had anticipated Klaus's actions.
C) He didn't believe Klaus's evidence was credible.
D) He thought Klaus was bluffing.
What made Klaus question Count Olaf's unusual reaction?

A) Count Olaf's sudden disappearance

B) Count Olaf's continued smirking and calm demeanour
C) Count Olaf's sarcastic remarks about Klaus's intelligence
D) Count Olaf's insistence on calling Klaus an "orphan"

PART 3: Writing Exercise (Please refer to guidelines written in book!]

Write a persuasive letter to a friend, arguing why Count Olaf's actions towards the
Baudelaire siblings in the provided text are wrong. In your letter, explain in simple terms
why you believe Count Olaf's behaviour is unfair and should be stopped.

To do this, you can:

- Describe how Count Olaf treats the Baudelaire children badly and why it's not
okay.
- Explain why it's important to be kind and fair to others, especially when they're
in a difficult situation like the Baudelaires.
- Share your feelings about Count Olaf's actions and how they make you feel.
- Suggest ways to help the Baudelaire siblings and make sure Count Olaf doesn't
get away with what he's doing.

Remember to use persuasive language and examples that your friend can understand.
Your goal is to persuade them to agree that Count Olaf's actions are wrong and to join
you in standing up for what's right.