The Beckoning of the Lights

Long ago, in a luscious green valley, there lived three beautiful sisters. Away from the
towns and villages, rarely did the three sisters receive a visitor to their small cottage. But
what everyone was missing! The cottage was full of fabrics and material in every colour
you can imagine! And with these fabrics, the three sisters made clothesthe most beautiful
garments you have ever seen.
Peacefully alone in the valley, the sisters spent their lives creating these works of art
and occasionally tending their garden of flowers and vegetables. As such, rarely was there
reason for them to leave their cosy, little cottage. Apart from an occasional trip to the
market in the nearest town for materials, the girls spent their days at the cottage, content in
creating their beautiful clothes.
One day, as the girls were putting the last few stitches on a long, elegant gown, there
was a knock at their solid wooden door. Slightly surprised by the sound, Rose, the eldest
sister, opened the door to find a young man.
"P-p-please can you help me?" he stammered.
"What is the matter, my friend?" asked Rose, inviting the boy inside.
"I left the town this morning, but I lost my way..." The young man stopped speaking,
awestruck by the beauty and warmth that suddenly surrounded him in the little cottage.
Everywhere he looked he saw the most beautiful clothes and fabrics, in a magnificent array
of colours.
"You'll be okay, we can help you find your way back to the town," reassured Lily, the
middle sister, with her soothing voice.
"Yes, we'll help." added Iris, the youngest of the three, more quietly than her older
sisters.
"Your house...it's so wonderfully bright," he slowly said, close to shedding a tear at the
beauty that lay before him.
"Oh yes, we love making clothes!" Rose shouted, with a big smile.
After a few seconds of taking in the sight, the young man had a sudden desire to tell
someone about what he had discovered in this secluded cottage.
"Which way is the town?" he quickly asked.
"Well, if you go left" started Lily, before being interrupted by the young man quickly
turning and running out of the door, adding a "thanks" as he went. The girls, slightly
confused, were nonetheless grateful for the visitor but soon got back to work, putting the
finishing touches on the gown.
Little did the sisters know that soon they were to be the talk of the nearest town. The
young man told his family about the three beautiful sisters living in the valley, creating
beautiful clothes. Each person in the family then told a few of their friends and before long,
the entire town had heard about the girls and their creations. And before long, they had
more visitors. These visitors desired to be as beautiful as the three sisters by wearing their
hand-crafted clothing. And the sisters, kind as they were, were happy to oblige, in exchange
for a small amount of money to cover the expense of the materials. They believed that
everyone should be beautiful, regardless of how much money one had or what natural good
looks one possessed.
However, as more and more visitors came to the cottage requesting clothes, Rose in
particular did begin to wonderwonder about living in a big house in the town and being
recognised as she walked through the streets. This of course made her question, could they
sell their creations for more money? Why of course, she felt! They were truly talented!
And as the eldest, she felt that it was her duty to lead her sisters.
And so, one evening, as the three were discussing ideas for a coat someone had
requested, she started:
"Lily, Iris, why do we charge so little for our wonderful clothes?"

"My dear sister, we have everything we need here. We are truly content, are we not?
And that is all that matters," responded Lily.
"Yes, but wouldn't it be lovely to live in the town in a big house?"
"Rose, if you wish to move to the town, you are very much free to do so."
"Would you not come with me?"
"No. This is where I love to be; it's a perfect place to do what I lovemake clothes."
Iris's eyes flittered between her two sisters, with their opposing views. Slightly
younger than the other two, she was not sure who she agreed with.
"Iris, you'll come with me, won't you?" asked Rose.
"Umm..." Iris responded, thinking.
"Well, get ready to go, because we're leaving tomorrow."
And with that, Iris's imagination, like that of her older sister, began to run wild,
pondering the luxuries that could be found in the town. The next day soon came, and indeed
both Rose and Iris, the eldest and the youngest, left for the townthis time, with no intention
of coming back to the cottage.
At dusk, the two arrived at the town.
"Where are we going to live, Rose?" asked Iris, slightly unsure about the new
surroundings she found herself in.
"Dear Iris, I think you mean where are you going to live? You are old enough now to
have a house of your own. Doesn't that sound exciting?"
But Iris did not find this exciting. She loved her sisters and only ever wanted to be
with them. And yet, it was true, she was getting older now, and she had heard that women
of the town did not live with their sisters but rather with their husbands. Rose, sensing
trepidation in Iris, added,
"We'll share a room at an inn tonight, but tomorrow we need to find homes of our
own."
This was the beginning of life in the big town for the two sisters. After they found
places to live, they began setting up their separate businesses in fashion. Rose, clear about
what she wantedfame and moneyfound this relatively easy. While continuing to create
with beauty in mind, she came to realise that many people judged the quality of clothes by
how expensive they were, and she consequently placed a high price tag on her garments.
Over the ensuing year, she made clothes for the rich and the popularand received a lot of
money in return. Soon, due to her own riches, she became a celebrity herself, looked up to
by everyone in the town. She could be seen at every public event, on the arms of various
men, mingling with the rich, all of whom wore her clothes. And eventually, she got what
she had wanted since considering moving to the towna sparkling big house.
Quieter than her elder sister, Iris found it more difficult to settle in the noisy and
bustling town, and she felt a sense of unease when people visited her in search of clothes.
This did not matter to begin with; her clothes were beautiful and sold themselves. However,
having always had her elder sisters to be inspired by, her clothes soon lost some of their
beauty. This was noticed not only by herself, but also by her dwindling clients. Feeling
dissatisfied, Iris found creating clothes increasingly difficult, and, as a consequence, she
produced less and less. Without the need to buy fabric and without clients to speak to, it was
also less and less necessary to leave her small room.
Back in the valley, Lily still lived in her beloved house. Although without her sisters,
she continued creating beautiful clothes, both for herself and for anyone who desired them,
regardless of how much money they had to their name. As she had always done, she went to
the market in the town when necessary. But, feeling an unnaturalness there, she didn't like
to stay for longjust long enough to purchase what she needed for her creations and to
briefly greet the people by whom she was surrounded. She knew her true home and her true
passion, despite the recent lacking of two important elements in both.
As time went by in the town, Rose, like her young sister Iris, began to struggle. Rose's

clothes had come to lack a certain elegance. Whereas Iris had found the absence of
inspiration troublesome, Rose's difficulties stemmed from a slightly different source. Caring
so much about being a celebrity in the town, it was necessary for something else in her life to
suffer. Without the care, without the time and the effort, it was clear to all that the clothes
she produced were simply no longer beautiful. And, without a source of income, her
expensive lifestyle was no longer sustainable.
One night, with her last remains of money, she went to the tavern she frequently
visited. She had become a keen drinker of alcohol, like her peers in the town. This habit,
combined with the dismay of having no more money, caused her to drink enough for five
people that night. It was no surprise when she was thrown out of the pub into the dark,
stormy night. Drenched by the battering rain, she lay in the main street of the townthe
town she once championed and desired over anything else. After some time and without a
house or shelter to go back to, she stumbled to the room of her almost forgotten youngest
sister.
Iris was awoken by tapping on her door. She frightfully peered out to find her eldest
sister laying on the doorstepher sister she used to view with such admiration.
"Rose!" she cried on her knees, fearing the worst. Rose opened her weary eyes. In
each others arms, their sobs could be heard throughout the building.
"What have we done? What have we become?" they cried together. The painful
memories of their lives in the town flashed through their heads. They both knew that there
was only one place they could go.
Despite being the middle of the night, they arrived at their cottage to find Lily happily
humming a tune of old, excitedly finishing a dress. After hearing a tired knock, Lily opened
the door of the cottage. Brightness beamed out of the cottage, lighting up the dark, stormy
night.
"Good evening to you, ladies," Lily politely greeted the two drenched individuals. "It
is pleasant to have company, but do you not think it is a little late to be requesting clothes?"
"Lily...it's us," whispered Iris, barely able to speak and with tears streaming down her
face.
"Iris! Rose! Come in from the rain!" Lily exclaimed with shock, as she brought her
barely recognisable sisters into the shelter of their warm cottage. Rose and Iris were too
exhausted to explain the events of the past few months that had led them back to their true
home. It wasn't long before the three were fast asleep in their once familiar large bed.
The following day, Rose and Iris told Lily the story of their lives in the town. Only
now was it clear to Rose and Iris how much they had changed. How long had they been
gone, they wondered? Months? Years? Lily remained unchanged, but oh how the town
had aged the youngest and eldest sister. With clear insight, Lily could see what had
happened: Rose's desire for wealth and fame had caused her to lose her passion in life; Iris
had given in to feelings of fear and become blind to the beauty she once saw. Lily was not
one to preach about such matters though. She simply stated to her sisters: "sometimes you
have to consider if what you desire will bring you the greatest happiness."
With this important lesson, Lily set to, nursing her sisters back to health. Over time,
they began creating clothes again with great joy. And after a few months, the girls had
mostly regained their oh-so-bright beauty with the help of their loving sister, Lily. To many
of the visitors to their cottage, the clothes were not only beautiful again but more beautiful
than ever. With the three sisters once again collaborating, people began coming from much
further than just the town. And, on a beautiful spring day, a letter from far away was placed
on their doorstep.
This was no ordinary letter, oh no! With an eye for quality, the girls could tell by the
paper of the envelope that this was a letter of great importance. Opening it, Lily read it
aloud:
"In the name of her majesty the queen, your presence is requested at the royal palace..."

Lily read no more; the letter was on the floor and the girls were deep in excited conversation,
speculating about the beautiful clothes that they would see at the grand palace.
A few days later, the three sisters were on their way. They had embarked with the
knowledge that the journey would take them many miles from their home; their excitement
would allow them to persist. Upon reaching the city that housed the grand palace, they
could scarcely believe their eyes. The streets were full to the brim with crowds of people
who apparently had come to catch a glimpse of the three sisters. "They're here!" people
shouted, as the crowds roared with cheer and gasped at the sisters' unimaginable beauty.
The crowds parted in the middle, and the girls made their way through the city to the palace,
followed by their parade of followers. Finally, the sisters climbed the steps of the palace,
walking on carpets of a deep red.
At the top of the steps, the queen herself waited, ready to speak in front of the
thousands of loyal subjects that had gathered.
"Good evening girls. I trust you had a pleasant journey," greeted the queen poshly.
"Yes, ma'am," replied the sisters, curtseying in unison.
To the crowds, the queen stated powerfully, "as you all know, these three sisters create
the most beautiful clothes of the landmore beautiful than anything we have ever seen. As
the queen, I invite all three of them take residence in the palace and create my many and
varied garments."
"Well girls, what is your response to this generous offer?" asked the queen. "I would
provide you with the rarest of fabrics, and you could spend all of your time doing what you
lovecreating clothes for me. Together, we would be the fairest in the queendom. Name
your price."
The sisters turned to confer with each other privately, while the queen and the crowd
waited impatiently. Lily whispered to her sisters that she didn't want to be tied to make
clothes for only the queen. Rose whispered that she didn't think they needed any more
money or fabrics than they already had. Agreeing, Iris confidently turned around to face the
queen.
"Your majesty, while we are very grateful for your generous offer, we do not wish to
accept it. It was a pleasure to visit you and the palace. Good day to you and thank you for
your gracious hospitality."
The queen stood dumbfounded as the three sisters descended the palace steps and
moved through the bewildered crowds of onlookers.
With the golden sun sinking in the sky just outside the city, a young royal servant
caught up to the sisters.
"Her majesty desperately wants your clothes!" he pleaded, gasping for breath. "What
will it take for you to come back with me to the palace? What is your price?"
"We have always, and will always, make clothes for the price of the fabric," replied
Lily.
"I...I don't understand. Why did you reject the queen's offer then?"
"We also have always, and will always, make clothes for anybody and everybody,
including those who don't possess much," added Iris.
A smile appeared on the servant's face, understanding that the queen would in fact be
able to have clothes made by the sisters.
"Very well," he stated, before hastily turning around to return to the queen with the
sisters' conditions and good news.
Rose, Lily and Iris stood together, their faces towards the setting sun. Together, they
set off towards the one place as beautiful and as colourful as that sunset, the place they would
always staytheir little cottage in the luscious, green valley.