[1] Set in an alternative history of England, it tells of the adventures of cousins Bonnie and Sylvia and their friend Simon the goose-boy as they thwart the evil schemes of their governess Miss Slighcarp, and their so-called "teacher" at boarding school, Mrs. Brisket.
A large number of wolves has migrated from the bitter cold of Europe and Russia into Britain via a new "channel tunnel", and terrorise the inhabitants of rural areas.
Due to Lady Green's ill health, Bonnie's parents are taking a holiday in warmer climates touring the Mediterranean by ship, leaving her in the care of a newly arrived distant fourth cousin, Letitia Slighcarp.
The robust and adventurous Bonnie is eager to show Sylvia the delights of country life, and they embark on an ice-skating expedition almost immediately.
Although the adventure ends on a scary note — the girls are chased by the ever-present wolves — all is well thanks to Simon, a resourceful boy who lives on his own in a cave, raising geese and bees.
With their friends, the girls plan to alert the kindly and sensible local doctor to the crimes of Miss Slighcarp and Mr. Grimshaw, but Miss Slighcarp foils the scheme and sends them to a nearby industrial town, to a dismal and horrid orphanage run by the even more horrid Mrs. Brisket and her pretentious, spoiled, unscrupulous and abusive daughter, Diana.
Sylvia quickly weakens and grows ill due to the backbreaking work, frigid rooms, inadequate clothing, and scant meals; the stronger Bonnie realizes they must escape soon.
On their arrival, they discover that Aunt Jane is near death from poverty-induced starvation, but with the help of a kind and idiosyncratic doctor downstairs, they nurse her back to health.
At this moment, Bonnie's parents return, having survived the sinking ship; months in the sunny climate of the Canary Islands have restored Lady Green to health, and Sir Willoughby immediately begins setting Miss Slighcarp's depredations to rights.
Bonnie's parents adopt Sylvia and agree to set up a school for Mrs. Brisket's charges and the now-humbled Diana, with a post for Aunt Jane, who had been too proud to accept charity.
After taking possession of the estate, she turns it into a high-class boarding school for the children of gentry, as well as for the orphans from Mrs Brisket's orphanage.
Although opposite to Miss Slighcarp in appearance, she shares a prideful, domineering nature and demands instant obedience from all of the girls in the orphanage.
She is primarily interested in money and runs the orphanage as a work house, only having the girls do academic lessons when representatives from the Board of Orphans are on the premises.
He protects Sylvia from a wolves during the train ride up from London, and pretends to be knocked unconscious by a falling suitcase in order to be carried to the Willoughby estate for care.
Mr. Gripe: He is the family lawyer and a kind-hearted man, who had been an unwitting dupe in the conspiracy to steal Sir Willoughby's estate.
Simon: A boy not much older than Bonnie and Sylvia, he ran away from a cruel farmer and lives a self-sufficient life in the caves of Willoughby Chase, keeping geese and bees.
Alice: An older and poor-natured inmate of Mrs Brisket's orphanage, notorious for her tale-telling against the other girls in exchange for the reward of cheese.
He is easily fooled into believing Mrs Brisket's orphanage is well-run, despite the freezing classrooms, the orphans' inadequate clothing, and their emaciation.
When agreeing to take charge of Sylvia, he shows concern for her by buying ice skates in a variety of sizes to ensure one pair will fit.
Shipwrecked off the coast of Portugal and picked up a passing cargo ship, several weeks at sea complete the hoped-for cure and she returns to her home full of life and energy.
On 30 December 1994, BBC Radio 4 broadcast an adaptation of the novel by Eric Pringle directed by Cherry Cookson, with Jane Lapotaire as Mrs. Slighcarp, John Rowe as the Narrator, Emily Watson as Sylvia, Abigail Docherty as Bonnie, and Gavin Muir as Sir Willoughby.