THE PARADISE OF CHILDREN. 105

to be youths and maidens, and men and women by and by,
and aged people, before they dreamed of such a thing.

Meanwhile, the naughty Pandora, and hardly less
naughty Epimetheus, remained in their cottage. Both
of them had been grievously stung, and were in a good
deal of pain, which seemed the more intolerable to them,
because it was the very first pain that 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
humor, both with themselves and with one another. In
order to indulge it to the utmost, Epimetheus sat down
sullenly in a corner with his back towards Pandora;
while Pandora flung herself upon the floor and rested her
head on the fatal and abominable box. She was crying
bitterly, and sobbing as if her heart, would break.

Suddenly there was a gentle little tap, on the inside of
the lid.

“What can that be ?”’ cried Pandora, lifting her head.

But either Epimetheus had not heard the tap, or was
too much out of humor to notice it. At any rate, he
made no answer.

“You are very unkind,” said Pandora, sobbing anew,

‘not to-speak to me!”

Again the tap! It sounded like the tiny knuckles of
a fairy’s hand, knocking lightly and playfully on the
inside of the box.

“Who are you?” asked Pandora, witha little of
her former curiosity. ‘“ Who are you, inside of this
naughty box?”

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