Three Pretty Girls Were In Them Then (extra credit)

Life at sea is two things: wet and boring. Eva thought this as she looked out the small, cloudy window into the grey-blue seascape before her. Sighing, she started to whistle, which was something that she enjoyed and which naturally annoyed both of her sisters -- Eliza and Margaret. Each girl had her own talents, Eliza could sing any song in perfect pitch and Margaret was a well-respect violinist with fans around the world.

Being the youngest, Eva was always in the shadow of her sisters' beauty and charm. She was jealous of her sisters' talents and thought whistling had to be one of the most overrated things someone could do.

"Why could it not be dancing?" She thought, "Or even painting?" She looked sourly at Margaret cleaning her violin bow and said, "Can't I learn to play the violin, Margaret? Way more boys like you than they do me."

Margaret was the oldest and therefore the wisest. She set down her bow and gave Eva a look,"Don't be silly, Eva. Whistling is a perfectly good talent and men are just a waste of time." Margaret was the prettiest, in Eva's opinion, she was tall and slender with light freckles dotted across her cheeks and nose. Her hair hung long and straight down her back, and years of practicing violin made her slender fingers nimble and strong. Margaret was the most serious of the three, taking responsibility and acting in place of a mom for the other two. "Sometimes too much like a mom..." Eva thought.

Just then, Eliza burst in, in hair in a perfectly messy bun on top of her head. "Helllllloooooo, sisters!" She sang and then promptly sat on a chair next to Margaret. Her eyes were wide with excitement. "You'll never guess where we're performing next." At this, Eva looked away so neither sister would see her roll her eyes. She hated performing.

"What is it now?" asked Margaret, placing her violin and bow back inside its case.

"Another wedding!" Eliza exclaimed, "We're sailing there now and will arrive tomorrow, which is New Year's Day. How exciting it will be and there are sure to be handsome men there." Eliza said with a smile. As the middle sister she was the opposite of Margaret. Playful, funny and a little bit wild, Eliza gave no regard to rules or traditions. She liked to stay up late, sleep in and defy Margaret in almost any way she could. As a flirt, she used her talent, singing, to win men over which had gotten her into trouble over the years. Eliza loved to sing and loved to show others she could sing.

Excited to finally get off the ship and stay on land for a few days, Eva barely slept that night. Most of her days were spent at sea, so celebrating a holiday on land, and at a wedding, was an exciting thought. She just wished they didn't have to perform. Eva was shy and hated standing in front of crowds. She didn't want to stand next to her sisters and listen to everyone fawn over their talents and beauty. She drifted into sleep feeling anxious, excited and dread all at the same time.

The next day they arrived, going ashore to the promised wedding performance. Eva reach for Margaret's left hand and Eliza's right hand, realizing how lucky she was to not have to stand alone.

---

I saw three ships come sailing by,

Come sailing by, come sailing by;

I saw three ships come sailing by,

On New Year's Day in the morning.

And what do you think was in them then,

Was in them then, was in them then?

And what do you think was in them then,

On New Year's Day in the morning?

Three pretty girls were in them then,

Were in them then, were in them then;

Three pretty girls were in them then,

On New Year's Day in the morning.

And one could whistle, and one could sing,

And one could play on the violin—

Such joy there was at my wedding,

On New Year's day in the morning.