THE PARADISE OF CHILDREN. 9]

ever experienced was Pandora’s vexation at not being —
able to discover the secret of the mysterious box. |

This was at first only the faint shadow of a Trouble ;
but, every day, it grew more and more substantial, until,
before a great while, the cottage of Epimetheus and
Pandora was less sunshiny than those of the other chil-
dren.

“Whence can the box have come?” Pandora contin-
ually kept saying to herself and to Epimetheus. “And
what in the world can be inside of it?”

“Always talking about this box!” said Epimetheus, at
last; for he had grown extremely tired of the subject.
“J wish, dear Pandora, you would try to talk of some-
thing else. Come, let us go and gather some ripe figs,
and eat them under the trees, for our supper. And I
know a vine that has the sweetest and juiciest grapes you
ever tasted.”

“ Always talking about grapes and figs!” cried Pan-
dora, pettishly.

“Well, then,” said Epimetheus, who was a very good-
tempered child, like a multitude of children in those
days, “let us run out and have a merry time with our
playmates.”

“JT am tired of merry times, gnd don’t care if I never
have any more!” answered our pettish little Pandora.
“And, besides, I never do have any. This ugly box!
I am so taken up with thinking about it all the time. I
insist upon your telling me what is inside of it.” |

“As I have already said, fifty times over, I do not
know!” replied Epimetheus, getting a little vexed.
‘How, then, can I tell you what is inside? ”’