Myths That Every Child Should Know

had either father or mother; and, that he might not be lonely, another child, fatherless and motherless like h

ere Epimetheus dwelt, was a great box. And almost the first quest

what have you

ou must be kind enough not to ask any questions about it. The box was l

?" asked Pandora. "And

ret, too," rep

a, pouting her lip. "I wish the g

d Epimetheus. "Let us run out of doors, and

trouble of any kind, and no clothes to be mended, and there was always plenty to eat and drink. Whenever a child wanted his dinner, he found it growing on a tree; and, if he looked at the tree in the morning, he could see the expanding blossom of that night's supper; or, at eventide,

t into a corner, and sulked. Oh, what a good time was that to be alive in! The truth is, those ugly little winged monsters, called Troubles, which are now almost as numerous as mosquitoes, had never

rew more and more substantial, until, before a great while, the cottage of

ually kept saying to herself and to Epimetheus

ish, dear Pandora, you would try to talk of something else. Come, let us go and gather some ripe figs, and eat t

grapes and figs!" cr

red child, like a multitude of children in those days, "

sh little Pandora. "And, besides, I never do have any. This ugly box! I am so taken up w

not know!" replied Epimetheus, getting a little

looking sideways at Epimetheus, "an

you thinking of?" e

fided to him on the condition of his never opening it, that Pandora thought it best not to

e, "you can tell me

intelligent, and who could hardly forbear laughing as he put it down. He was dressed in an odd kind of a clo

staff had he?"

t was like two serpents twisting around a stick, and was carved

ght me hither, as well as the box. No doubt he intended it for me; and, most probably, it contains prett

until Quicksilver comes back and tells us so, we hav

ra, as Epimetheus left the cottage. "I

th of hearing about the box, and heartily wished that Quicksilver, or whatever was the messenger's name, had left it at some other child's door, where Pandora would never have set eyes on it. So perseveringly as did she babble about this one thing! The box, th

s the little people of the earth were so unaccustomed to vexations, in those happy days, that they knew not how t

me article of furniture, and would have been quite an ornament to any room in which it should be placed. It was made of a beautiful kind of wood, with dark and rich veins spreading over its

ted, and were wrought together in such harmony, that flowers, foliage, and human beings seemed to combine into a wreath of mingled beauty. But here and there, peeping forth from behind the carved foliage, Pandora once or twice fancied that she saw a face not so lovely, or something or other

the centre, with a garland of flowers about its brow. Pandora had looked at this face a great many times, and imagined that the mouth could smile if it liked, or be grave when it chose, the same

t would probably have b

ind that poor, simple Epimetheus! You are wiser than he, and have ten times as

er was a knot so cunningly twisted, nor with so many ins and outs, which roguishly defied the skilfullest fingers to disentangle them. And yet, by the very difficulty that there was in it, Pandora was the more

ain, after undoing it. There would be no harm in that, surely. Even Epimetheus would not blame me for that. I ne

leisure. They could not be forever playing at hide-and-seek among the flower shrubs, or at blind-man's-buff with garlands over their eyes, or at whatever other games had been found out, while Mother Earth was in her babyhood. When life is all sport, toil is the real play. There was abs

right polish of its sides, and the rich border of beautiful faces and foliage that ran all around it. Or, if she chanced to be ill-tempered, she could give it a push, or kick it with her naughty little foot. And many a kick did the box-(but it wa

andora? If you were left alone with the box, might you not feel a little tempted to lift the lid? But you would not do it. Oh, fie! No, no! Only, if you thought there were toys in it, it would be so very hard to let slip an opportunity of taking just one peep! I know not whether Pandora expected any toys; for none had yet begun to be made, probably, in those day

sity grew so much greater than it usually was, that, at last, she approached the bo

ump. A moment afterward, she almost fancied that she heard something stir inside of the box. She applied her ear as closely as possible, and listened. Positively, there did seem to be a kind of stifled murmur within! Or w

ead, her eyes fell upo

said Pandora to herself. "But I think I could untie it neverthel

ing to undo it. Meanwhile, the bright sunshine came through the open window; as did likewise the merry voices of the children, playing at a distance, and perhaps the voice of Epimetheus among them. Pandor

he knot; and happening to glance at the flower-wreathed face on the lid

"I wonder whether it smiles because I am doing wron

of twist, which produced a wonderful result. The gold cord untwi

" said Pandora. "What will Epimetheus say

t in the least remember how the strings had been doubled into one another; and when she tried to recollect the shape and appearance of the knot, it

, he will know that I have done it. How shall I mak

was right, and of leaving undone what was wrong, and not of what your playfellow Epimetheus would have said or believed. And so perhaps she might, if the enchanted face on the lid of the box had not looked so bewitchingly persuasive at her, and

s out! We will be such nice pretty p

I am resolved to take just one peep! Only one peep; and then the lid shall be shut

for us to see what

e at all, they were overripe, and so sweet as to be cloying. There was no mirth in his heart, such as usually made his voice gush out, of its own accord, and swell the merriment of his companions. In short, he grew so uneasy and discontented, that the other children could not imagine what was the matter with Epimetheus. Neither did he himself know w

made them into a wreath, which he meant to put upon her head. The flowers were very lovely-roses, and lilies, and orange blossoms, and a great many more, which left a trail of fragrance behind, as Epimetheus carried them along; and the wreath w

past, although it had not yet overspread the sun. But, just as Epimetheus reached the cottage

trod as heavily as he pleased-as heavily as a grown man-as heavily, I was going to say, as an elephant-without much probability of Pandora's hearing his footsteps. She was too intent upon her purpose. At the moment of his entering the cottage, the

ow should not be the only wise person in the cottage. And if there were anything pretty or valuable in the box, he meant to take half of it to himself. Thus, after all his sage speeches to Pandora about restrain

n a low growling and muttering, which all at once broke into a heavy peal of thunder. But Pandora, heeding nothing of all this, lifted the lid nearly upright, and looked inside. It seemed as if

am stung! Naughty Pandora! why

which we call dor bugs, and pinching dogs, were darting about. And, as her eyes grew more accustomed to the imperfect light, she saw a crowd of ugly little shapes, with bats' wings, looking abominably spiteful, and armed with terribly long stings in their tails. It was one of these that had stung Epimetheus

were Diseases, in a vast number of miserable and painful shapes; there were more kinds of Naughtiness than it would be of any use to talk about. In short, everything that has since afflicted the souls and bodies of mankind had been shut up in the mysterious box, and given to Epimetheus and Pa

dren should keep the ugly swarms in their own little cottage. On the contrary, the first thing that they did was to fling open the doors and windows, in hopes of getting rid of them; and, sure enough, away flew the winged Troubles all abroad, and so pestered and tormented the small people, everywhere about, that none of them so much as smiled for many days afterward. And, what w

t had ever been felt since the world began. Of course, they were entirely unaccustomed to it, and could have no idea what it meant. Besides all this, they were in exceedingly bad humour, both with themselves and with one another. In order to indulge

gentle little tap on

?" cried Pandora,

tap, or was too much out of humour to no

aid Pandora, sobbing ane

nuckles of a fairy's hand, knocking light

little of her former curiosity. "Who

e voice spoke

e lid, and yo

e of the box, naughty creature, and there you shall stay! There are plenty of your ugly brothers and sis

ting that he would commend her for her wisdom. But the su

atures that have stings in their tails. They are no brothers and sisters of mine, as you would see at onc

this little voice asked. Pandora's heart had insensibly grown lighter, at every word that came from within the box. Ep

ied Pandora, "have you h

ered he, but in no very good h

the lid again?

that perhaps you may as well do a little more. One other Trouble, in such a sw

e more kindly!" murmured

longing to see me. Come, my dear Pandora, lift up the lid. I am in a great hurry to comfort you. Only le

ndora, "come what may, I a

y," cried Epimetheus, running ac

e dance into dark corners, by reflecting it from a bit of looking glass? Well, so looked the winged cheerfulness of this fairy-like stranger, amid the gloom of the cottage. She flew to Epimetheus, and la

ked so sweetly at them, that they both began to think it not so very much amiss to have opened the box, since, o

beautiful creature

I was packed into the box, to make amends to the human race for that swarm of ugly Troubles, which

e the rainbow!" exclaimed Pa

ope, "because, glad as my nature is, I a

h us," asked Epimetheu

es and seasons, now and then, when you will think that I have utterly vanished. But again, and again, and again, when perhaps you least dream of it, you shall se

ey exclaimed-"te

mouth. "But do not despair, even if it should never happen whi

ed Epimetheus and Pand

into the box. No doubt-no doubt-the Troubles are still flying about the world, and have increased in multitude, rather than lessened, and are a very ugly set of imps, and carry most venomous stings in their tails. I have felt them already, and expect to feel them more, as I grow