The Princess of the Chalet School Quiz

Answer: A doctor said she needed to spend time with girls her own age and live like a normal teenager.

At the start of the book, Elisaveta is recovering from a bad bout of pneumonia, and her father is worried about her health. Dr Tracy, the royal doctor, recommends the Chalet School as a friend of his has a daughter there, and the mountain air will be good for Elisaveta.

He also thinks Elisaveta is far too serious and needs to live more like a normal teenage girl. Elisaveta has had a series of tutors and governesses and speaks multiple languages, but she is lonely and wants to make friends with girls her own age.

When the Prince tells her she is going to be sent to school, she is only too happy to go. When Madge Bettany finds out, she has reservations, as she worries some of the Austrian girls might be too formal around Elisaveta, but Joey suggests treating her like an ordinary girl. Madge tells Joey to keep it a secret about the new girl being a princess.

Answer: Putting snails on her window

Madge has to engage a new matron at short notice as the previous one has left, and ends up landed with Matron Webb, who is much older than her and unpleasant to boot. She takes an immediate dislike to the Robin, calling her a 'nuisance' when she and the other girls try to help, as well as Joey and Juliet Carrick because she thinks Madge will give them special treatment.

She also dislikes Elisaveta because of her manner. A group of Middles, led by Margia Stevens, form the SSM and invite Elisaveta to join. Joey also joins and gets into trouble with Madge for using slang. Madge and the staff are in an awkward position, as they dislike Matron Webb as well, but have to present a united front in front of the girls. Joey mistakenly thinks that Madge has banned early morning reading after Matron Webb tells her off for reading in bed, to Madge's shock.

At an SSM meeting, Joey comes up with the idea of putting snails on Matron Webb's window as a prank, with Bianca di Ferrara and Elisaveta's help, as they make a loud noise and nobody will immediately think it was a prank.

Answer: Her voice

Matron Webb has a loud and grating voice and uses slang, and the SSM's next prank is to imitate her, although they take it in turns. Mr Denny notices during a singing class that some of the girls were singing very badly and Miss Maynard also has to tell some of the girls off for talking too loudly. Girls who are caught shouting are punished by having to write King Lear's quote about Cordelia's voice ('Her voice was ever sweet, gentle, and low, an excellent thing in woman') multiple times, not that it bothers them too much, although they tone it down when Mlle Lepattre warns them on an outing that they are making the school look bad. Madge hears Joey and Elisaveta shouting at each other and using slang such as 'old fruit' and 'caboodle', and when she asks Elisaveta where she heard the word 'caboodle', Elisaveta says, "It wasn't a girl" and Madge realises she must have picked it up from Matron Webb. Madge decides that Matron must go before the girls learn any more forbidden slang.

Answer: She locks the Robin in her room.

Madge is already unhappy with Matron because of her use of slang, but the straw that breaks the camel's back is Matron Webb's cruel treatment of the Robin. Joey and Elisaveta barge in on Madge to beg her to come and help as Matron Webb has locked the Robin in her room and won't let her out. Joey and Elisaveta explain what happened: Miss Wilson forgot her referee's whistle and asked the Robin to get it from the dormitory, but then sent Joey after her as she remembered younger girls were not allowed in dormitories. Matron Webb caught the Robin and shook her, and refused to believe her when the Robin tried to explain that a teacher sent her, and locked her in her room as punishment. Joey and Elisaveta also tried to explain, but Matron Webb would not believe them either, and was rude to Miss Durrant when she said that staff do not lock girls in their rooms. Both Joey and the Robin are extremely upset and shaken. Madge is so disgusted that she immediately fires Matron Webb.

Answer: Being enrolled in Guides

Like many of the Tyrolean books, 'The Princess of the Chalet School' features Guides and Elisaveta joins the Chalet School pack. (The skills she learns, such as woodcraft, turn out to be useful much later on.) Prince Carol comes to visit and the Guides and Brownies put on a show for him, demonstrating first aid and signalling.

The Prince is happy to see how well Elisaveta looks and sends the school a gift of gramophone records of classical music, tennis balls and books for the library. Madge later receives a letter from him warning her that Prince Cosimo may try to kidnap Elisaveta and use her as a hostage, as he has quarreled with both the Prince and the King, and has made similar threats in the past. Madge tells Joey to keep an eye on Elisaveta - who is not to know of the threat - in case any strangers try to talk to her.

Answer: Six teaspoons

At the Chalet School, it is customary to celebrate Madge's birthday every year, usually with a day out. What Madge and Joey know, but the other girls don't, is that this will be her final birthday at the school before she leaves. Because of this, she asks them not to give her any presents but the girls still get her a couple of paintings of the Tyrol, via Herr Marani.

The girls serenade Madge with 'Hark, Hark, the Lark' and a song specially written for her by Joey and Margia. Joey's own present to Madge is a set of 'silver' teaspoons; she can't afford the real thing as she is saving up for Madge's wedding present.

The school goes on a trip to the town of Mayrhofen Zillerthal and has a picnic in the woods. (The pudding bowl is the Robin's present.) Elisaveta goes for a walk along the river with Simone Lecoutier and Margia, but goes off on her own after the other two decide to look for gold.

Answer: Carlo Belsarni

Elisaveta is approached by a strange man, who - unbeknown to her - is Maurus Ternikai, nicknamed 'Cosimo's jackal'. He tells her that he has been asked to watch over her in case of danger, as Europe is a dangerous place for royal families (bear in mind that the Russian Revolution had happened a few years before the book was published in 1927), although Elisaveta is confused as nobody told her about it.

She points Ternikai out to Joey at the station and Joey wonders why he and his companion are hiding behind the luggage.

The companion is Prince Cosimo, and he is travelling around Europe under the name of Carlo Belsarni. Elisaveta receives news that her father is injured after falling off his horse, although he recovers after surgery. Joey, the Robin and Elisaveta encounter Cosimo and Ternikai again in the woods, and all three of them are uneasy about the men. Ternikai later introduces himself to Madge, with a forged letter purporting to be from the King. Both Madge and Mlle Lepattre also have a bad feeling about him.

Answer: A meteorite lands on the cricket pitch.

The weather is hot and the girls are in a bad mood. At night, a thunderstorm begins and Elisaveta and Bianca, who are both scared of thunder, take refuge in Joey's cubicle. Lightning breaks out, causes a power cut and sets the grass on fire. A meteor (which Herr Braun calls an 'aerolite') hits the cricket pitch and leaves a massive hole.

As it has been dry recently and the local houses are made of wood, girls, staff and locals band together to fight the fire, with the girls carrying water and the staff helping to dig trenches; fortunately, rain comes and it dies down.

The girls are exhausted, so the staff let them take it easy for the rest of the week.

Answer: Joey hears Cosimo speaking Russian and realises he is up to no good.

Elisaveta notices Ternikai outside her window and goes to meet him, with Joey keeping close by and refusing to leave her alone. Ternikai claims that he and 'Carlo' are taking Elisaveta somewhere safe as Cosimo is planning to kidnap her (and Madge later tells her that she should have told her first), but Joey becomes suspicious when Cosimo speaks in Russian and calls her a 'brat', then tells Ternikai to take Elisaveta as quickly as possible, because Joey knows too much. Elisaveta goes with the men, but Joey follows behind with Rufus, leaving a letter for Madge. Rufus tracks Elisaveta's scent and Elisaveta leaves woodcraft signs so that Joey can follow the trail, and Joey and Rufus eventually manage to track her down and get her alone.

They manage to get away without Ternikai catching them, but are forced to make a rope out of their stockings and vests to help them negotiate a tricky drop. Madge, Jem and Captain Trevillion, the Prince's pilot, go after Joey and Elisaveta and eventually run into them. Both girls are ill after their long walk and although Madge is relieved, she tells them both off for running away.

Answer: Dick and Mollie Bettany become the parents of twins.

While Peggy and Rix Bettany are born in this book, the announcement comes early on. In order: to celebrate the end of term, the girls hold a summer garden party with a masque, 'The Court of Queen Summer', starring Marie von Eschenau as Queen Summer and featuring solos by Joey.

At the end of the masque, Marie gives Madge a bouquet of flowers as a parting gift. The King of Belsornia is in attendance and thanks Joey for saving Elisaveta, and also informs her that Cosimo has died after falling into a ravine. Madge and Jem are married, with Joey, the Robin and Juliet as bridesmaids, and go to Italy for their honeymoon while Joey, the Robin and Juliet stay with the Marani family.

The girls then go to Belsornia to meet up with Madge and Jem and stay with Elisaveta at the palace. Elisaveta's maid helps Joey dress up, as she is due to take part in a procession through the capital city and be given an award for saving Elisaveta (much to Joey's horror). Joey becomes a national hero and is awarded with a string of Belsornian pearls and an illuminated address.

The law in Belsornia has also been changed to allow Elisaveta to inherit the throne.