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By N. Hawthorne Submitted by Lilla Date: 2008 May 12 Comment on this Work [[2008.05.12.11.32.30670]] |
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... And what was very strange, all the flowers and dewy blossoms on earth, not one of which had before faded, now began to droop and shed their leaves, after a day or two. The children who before seemed always young now day by day grew older and came to be men and women by-and-by. ... ... ... ... 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 unbearable to them because it was the very first pain that had ever been felt since the world began. Besides this,they were in very bad humor, both with themselves and with one another. Epimetheus sat down sullenly in a corner with his back toward Pandora, while Pandora flung herself upon the floor and rested her head on the fatal box. She was sobbing as if her heart would break. Suddenly there was a gentle 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 upset to notice it. At any rate, he made no answer. "You are very unkind," said Pandora, sobbing again, "not to speak to me!" Again the tap! It sounded like the tiny knuckles of a fairy's hand, knocking playfully on the inside of the box. "Who are you?" asked Pandora. "Who are you, inside of this naughty box?" A sweet little voice spoke from within: "Only lift the lid, and you shall see." "No, no," answered Pandora, again beginning to sob, "I have had enough of lifting the lid! You are inside of the box, naughty creature, and there you shall stay!" "Ah," said the sweet little voice again, "you had much better let me out." I am not like those naughty creatures that have stings in their tails. Come, come, my pretty Pandora! I am sure you will let me out I" And, indeed, there was a kind of cheerful witchery in the tone that made it almost impossible to refuse anything which this little voice asked. Pandora's .heart had grown lighter at every word that came from within the box. Epimetheus, too, though still in the corner, had turned half round and seemed to be in rather better spirits than before. "My dear Epimetheus," cried Pandora, "have you heard this little voice?" "Yes, to be sure I have," he answered. "And what of it?" "Shall I lift the lid again?" asked Pandora. "Just as you please," said Epimetheus. "You have done so much mischief already that perhaps you may as well do a little more. One other Trouble can make no very great. difference." "You might speak a little more kindly!" murmured Pandora, wiping her eyes. "Ah, naughty boy!" cried the little voice within the box, in a laughing tone. "He knows he wants to see me. Come, my dear Pandora, lift up the lid. I am in a great hurry to comfort you." "Epimetheus," exclaimed Pandora, "no matter what happens, I will open the box!" "And, as the lid seems very heavy," cried Epimetheus, running across the room, "I will help you!" So again ... lifted the lid. Out flew sunny and smiling, and hovered about the room, throwing a light wherever she went. She flew to Epimetheus and laid the lightest touch of her finger on the spot where the Trouble had stung him, and immediately the pain was gone. Then she kissed Pandora on the forehead, and her hurt was also cured. After performing these good deeds, the bright stranger fluttered over the children's heads, and looked so sweetly at them that they both began to think it not so very much wrong to have opened the box, since otherwise their cheery guest must have been kept a prisoner among those naughty imps with stings in their tails. "Pray, who are you, beautiful creature?" inquired Pandora. "I am to be called Hope!" answered the sunshiny figure. "And because I am such a cheery little body, I was packed into the box to make up for that swarm of ugly Troubles which was to be let loose." "Your wings are colored like the rainbow!" exclaimed Pandora. "How very beautiful !" "And will you stay with us," asked Epimetheus, "for ever and ever?" "As long as you need me," said hope, with her pleasant smile, "and that will be as long as you live in the world. I promise never to leave you. There may be times now and then when you will think that I have vanished. But again, and again, and again, ... when perhaps you least dream of my being with you, you shall see the glimmer of my wings on the ceiling of your cottage." |