Cage: a variation

The youngest prince had gone missing and the royal city of Kyoto was in a dark mood. Three sisters who were in love with him decided to cheer themselves up by travelling into the fields around the city to watch the fireflies.

"But where are they?" they said when they arrived. "It's the right season. Where are the fireflies?"

The fields were as dark as the inside of a hat.

"Wait. There they are. Is that a house?"

It was a tiny house. Three beads of light moved restlessly in a cage outside the front door. "Old woman," they said to the owner, who was sitting outside. "Let the fireflies loose."

She refused. "I'll keep them in this cage. That way you won't have to move your eyes so much to see them."

"She's blind," whispered one sister to another. "She won't see me if I --"

And with that, she reached forward and opened the cage.

One dot of light flew free, and the old woman shouted.

"My left eye!"

At that, one of the sisters saw that the old woman was the prince and that she was not truly in love with him after all.

Another dot of light flew free and the old woman shouted.

"My right eye!"

At that, a second sister saw that the old woman was the prince and that she was not truly in love with him after all.

Another dot of light flew free and the old woman shouted.

"My heart!"

At that, the third sister saw that the old woman was the prince and that she loved him truly.

All four of them returned to Kyoto.