Corrine, widowed and penniless, moves with her four children into her wealthy, but nasty parent's mansion. Because her father disapproved of her marriage, Corrine must keep the fact that she has children a secret, to retain her presence in her father's will. Hiding her children in the attic, she slowly poisons them with arsenic-laced gingerbread cookies. Unfortunately, it isn't until one brother falls ill and dies, that the children discover their mother's plot to re-marry and start a new life without them. Escaping from the attic during their mother's wedding reception, they run to freedom, but not before exposing the horrible truth about Corrine in front of the entire wedding party.