Unloved, yet strong and spirited, nine year old Charlotte Tetterton survives the cruelty and oppression of the King's family with kindness and love for her animal friends... her only friends, whom she speaks to every day. She tries to make a clever plan to get a letter to her mummy, who is living in a faraway country, in hopes that her mummy would come quickly to rescue her and her older sister Moyra. Moyra has no idea what Charlotte is suffering on a daily basis at the King's house. Charlotte is hesitant to tell Moyra for fear that she would cause her to sacrifice her educational goals because of her and make Moyra very unhappy. When Charlotte's plans fail, she runs in desperation to the friendly village Postmaster who has always been kind to her. Charlotte reveals all to the Postmaster of what has been going on at the King's house that causes her great distress on a daily basis. When the friendly postmaster visits Mrs. King, Charlotte is terrified. She is sure that he has broken his promise to help her and has come to tell Mrs. King all that Charlotte has revealed. Charlotte is quite sure that this can only result in terrible discipline for speaking badly about the King's family to such a respected man in the village. Charlotte dreams of a handsome Prince coming to rescue her as in the story of Cinderella
