"You might open it," said Pandora, looking sideways at Epimetheus, "and then we could see for ourselves."
"Pandora, what are you thinking of?" exclaimed Epimetheus.
And his face expressed so much horror at the idea of looking into a box, which had been confided2 to him on the condition of his never opening it, that Pandora thought it best not to suggest it any more. Still, however, she could not help thinking and talking about the box.
"At least," said she, "you can tell me how it came here."
"It was just left at the door," replied Epimetheus, "just before you came, by a person who looked very smiling and intelligent, and who could hardly forbear laughing as he put it down. He was dressed in an odd kind of a cloak, and had on a cap that seemed to be made partly of feathers, so that it looked almost as if it had wings."
"What sort of a staff had he?" asked Pandora.
"Oh, the most curious staff you ever saw!" cried Epimetheus. "It was like two serpents twisting around a stick, and was carved so naturally that I, at first, thought the serpents were alive."
"I know him," said Pandora, thoughtfully. "Nobody else has such a staff. It was Quicksilver; and he brought me hither, as well as the-82- box. No doubt he intended it for me; and, most probably, it contains pretty dresses for me to wear, or toys for you and me to play with, or something very nice for us both to eat!"
"Perhaps so," answered Epimetheus, turning away. "But until Quicksilver comes back and tells us so, we have neither of us any right to lift the lid of the box."
"What a dull boy he is!" muttered Pandora, as Epimetheus left the cottage. "I do wish he had a little more enterprise!"
For the first time since her arrival, Epimetheus had gone out without asking Pandora to accompany him. He went to gather figs3 and grapes by himself, or to seek whatever amusement he could find, in other society than his little playfellow's. He was tired to death of hearing about the box, and heartily4 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 perseveringly5 as she did babble6 about this one thing! The box, the box, and nothing but the box! It seemed as if the box were bewitched, and as if the cottage were not big enough to hold it, without Pandora's continually stumbling over it, and making Epimetheus stumble over it likewise, and bruising7 all four of their shins.
Well, it was really hard that poor Epimetheus should have a box in his ears from morning till night; especially as the little people of the earth were so unaccustomed to vexations, in those happy days, that they knew not how to deal with them.-83- Thus, a small vexation made as much disturbance8 then, as a far bigger one would in our own times.
After Epimetheus was gone, Pandora stood gazing at the box. She had called it ugly, above a hundred times; but, in spite of all that she had said against it, it was positively9 a very handsome article of furniture, and would have been quite an ornament10 to any room in which it should be placed. It was made of a beautiful kind of wood, with dark and rich veins11 spreading over its surface, which was so highly polished that little Pandora could see her face in it. As the child had no other looking-glass, it is odd that she did not value the box, merely on this account.
The edges and corners of the box were carved with most wonderful skill. Around the margin12 there were figures of graceful13 men and women, and the prettiest children ever seen, reclining or sporting amid a profusion14 of flowers and foliage15; and these various objects were so exquisitely16 represented, and were wrought17 together in such harmony, that flowers, foliage, and human beings seemed to combine into a wreath of mingled18 beauty. But here and there, peeping forth19 from behind the carved foliage, Pandora once or twice fancied that she saw a face not so lovely, or something or other that was disagreeable, and which stole the beauty out of all the rest. Nevertheless, on looking more closely, and touching20 the spot with her finger, she could discover nothing of the kind. Some face, that was really beautiful, had been made to look ugly by her catching21 a sideway glimpse at it.-84-
The most beautiful face of all was done in what is called high relief, in the centre of the lid. There was nothing else, save the dark, smooth richness of the polished wood, and this one face in 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 as any living mouth. The features, indeed, all wore a very lively and rather mischievous22 expression, which looked almost as if it needs must burst out of the carved lips, and utter itself in words.
Had the mouth spoken, it would probably have been something like this:—
"Do not be afraid, Pandora! What harm can there be in opening the box? Never mind that poor, simple Epimetheus! You are wiser than he, and have ten times as much spirit. Open the box, and see if you do not find something very pretty!"
The box, I had almost forgotten to say, was fastened; not by a lock, nor by any other such contrivance, but by a very intricate knot of gold cord. There appeared to be no end to this knot, and no beginning. Never was a knot so cunningly twisted, nor with so many ins and outs, which roguishly defied the skillfullest fingers to disentangle them. And yet, by the very difficulty that there was in it, Pandora was the more tempted23 to examine the knot, and just see how it was made. Two or three times, already, she had stooped over the box, and taken the knot between her thumb-85- and forefinger24, but without positively trying to undo25 it.
"I really believe," said she to herself, "that I begin to see how it was done. Nay26, perhaps I could tie it up again, after undoing27 it. There would be no harm in that, surely. Even Epimetheus would not blame me for that. I need not open the box, and should not, of course, without the foolish boy's consent, even if the knot were untied28."
It might have been better for Pandora if she had had a little work to do, or anything to employ her mind upon, so as not to be so constantly thinking of this one subject. But children led so easy a life, before any Troubles came into the world, that they had really a great deal too much 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, toil29 is the real play. There was absolutely nothing to do. A little sweeping30 and dusting about the cottage, I suppose, and the gathering31 of fresh flowers (which were only too abundant everywhere), and arranging them in vases,—and poor little Pandora's day's work was over. And then, for the rest of the day, there was the box!
After all, I am not quite sure that the box was not a blessing32 to her in its way. It supplied her with such a variety of ideas to think of, and to talk about, whenever she had anybody to listen!-86- When she was in good-humor, she could admire the bright 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 was a mischievous box, as we shall see, and deserved all it got)—many a kick did it receive. But, certain it is, if it had not been for the box, our active-minded little Pandora would not have known half so well how to spend her time as she now did.
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1
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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2
confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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3
figs
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| figures 数字，图形，外形 | |
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4
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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5
perseveringly
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| 坚定地 | |
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6
babble
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| v.含糊不清地说，胡言乱语地说，儿语 | |
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7
bruising
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| adj.殊死的；十分激烈的v.擦伤(bruise的现在分词形式) | |
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8
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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9
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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10
ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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11
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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12
margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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13
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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14
profusion
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| n.挥霍；丰富 | |
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15
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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16
exquisitely
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| adv.精致地；强烈地；剧烈地；异常地 | |
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17
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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18
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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19
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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20
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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21
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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22
mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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23
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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24
forefinger
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| n.食指 | |
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25
undo
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| vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销 | |
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26
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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27
undoing
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| n.毁灭的原因，祸根；破坏，毁灭 | |
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28
untied
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| 松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决 | |
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29
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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30
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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31
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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32
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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