Let me tell you about a girl named Lily. Now, Lily was a sweet girl, but oh dear, she did NOT like to spin. Not one little bit. Her mother would say, "Lily, please spin this flax!" But Lily would sigh and find a comfy spot for a nap instead.

One sunny afternoon, Lily’s mother had had enough. "Lily!" she cried, her voice a bit loud, "If you don't spin, I... I... well, I'll be very cross!" Lily just yawned.

Just then, a grand carriage rolled by. Inside was the Queen! She heard the shouting and stopped. "My dear woman," said the Queen, "why are you so upset with your daughter?"

Lily’s mother felt a bit embarrassed. She didn't want the Queen to know Lily was lazy. So, she fibbed a little. "Oh, Your Majesty," she said, "my Lily spins SO much! She spins faster than anyone. I just can't find enough flax for her! She spins it all up in a flash!"

The Queen's eyes sparkled. "Wonderful!" she exclaimed. "I have mountains of flax at the castle. If she can spin three whole rooms full, I'll let her marry my son, the Prince!"

Lily’s jaw dropped. Marry the Prince? But... three rooms of flax? Her mother, however, beamed and said, "Of course, she can!"

So, off Lily went to the grand castle. The Queen showed her the first room. It was piled high with fluffy flax, right up to the ceiling! "Spin this," said the Queen, "and then there are two more rooms."

When the Queen left, Lily sat down and started to cry. "I can't do this!" she wailed. "I'll never finish!"

Suddenly, tap-tap-tap at the window! Three very unusual-looking women peeked in. One had a super-duper big foot. Another had a bottom lip so big it nearly touched her chin. And the third had a thumb as wide as a pancake!

"Don't cry, pretty girl," said the one with the big foot. "We can help you spin all this flax."

"Really?" sniffled Lily. "What do you want in return?"

"Just three little things," said the one with the big lip. "Invite us to your wedding feast. Call us your aunts. And let us sit at the main table with you and the Prince."

Lily thought, "That's easy!" So she promised.

Whirr, whizz, buzz! The three women set to work. The big foot pedaled the spinning wheel, the big lip licked the thread, and the big thumb twisted it. Faster and faster they spun! In no time, the first room was empty, and full of beautiful thread. Then the second room. Then the third!

When the Queen came back, she was amazed. "You are a marvel!" she cried. "The wedding will be tomorrow!"

Lily was so happy. She was going to marry the Prince, and she hadn't spun a single thread! The wedding was splendid. And just as the feast began, in walked her three "aunts."

The Prince looked surprised. "My dear," he said to Lily, "who are these... interesting ladies?"

"These are my dear aunts," said Lily, just as she had promised.

The Prince was polite. He turned to the first aunt. "Goodness, Auntie," he said, "why is your foot so very big?"
"From pedaling the spinning wheel, young man," she replied.

Then he asked the second aunt, "And why, dear Auntie, is your lip so large?"
"From licking the thread, Your Highness," she answered.

Finally, he asked the third aunt, "And your thumb, Auntie, why is it so wide?"
"From twisting the thread, dear Prince," she said proudly.

The Prince looked horrified. He turned to Lily. "My beautiful bride," he declared, "if spinning does THAT to a person, you shall never, ever touch a spinning wheel again!"

And Lily, who secretly hated spinning more than anything, smiled her biggest smile. She lived happily ever after with the Prince, and she never had to spin another day in her life.

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