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diff --git a/9256-0.txt b/9256-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7eb0a3f --- /dev/null +++ b/9256-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1147 @@ +Project Gutenberg’s The Paradise of Children, by Nathaniel Hawthorne + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Paradise of Children + +Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne + +Release Date: November, 2005 [EBook #9256] +First Posted: September 25, 2003 +Last Updated: December 15, 2016 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PARADISE OF CHILDREN *** + + + + +Produced by David Widger + + + + + + + + + + + A WONDER-BOOK FOR GIRLS AND BOYS + + By Nathaniel Hawthorne + + + THE PARADISE OF CHILDREN + + + +CONTENTS: + + TANGLEWOOD PLAY-ROOM--Introductory to “The Paradise of Children” + THE PARADISE OF CHILDREN + TANGLEWOOD PLAY-ROOM--After the Story + + + + +TANGLEWOOD PLAY-ROOM. + +The golden days of October passed away, as so many other Octobers have, +and brown November likewise, and the greater part of chill December, +too. At last came merry Christmas, and Eustace Bright along with it, +making it all the merrier by his presence. And, the day after his +arrival from college, there came a mighty snow-storm. Up to this time, +the winter had held back, and had given us a good many mild days, which +were like smiles upon its wrinkled visage. The grass had kept itself +green, in sheltered places, such as the nooks of southern hill-slopes, +and along the lee of the stone fences. It was but a week or two ago, +and since the beginning of the month, that the children had found a +dandelion in bloom, on the margin of Shadow Brook, where it glides out +of the dell. + +But no more green grass and dandelions now. This was such a snow-storm! +Twenty miles of it might have been visible at once, between the windows +of Tanglewood and the dome of Taconic, had it been possible to see so +far, among the eddying drifts that whitened all the atmosphere. It +seemed as if the hills were giants, and were flinging monstrous handfuls +of snow at one another, in their enormous sport. So thick were the +fluttering snow-flakes, that even the trees, midway down the valley, +were hidden by them the greater part of the time. Sometimes, it is +true, the little prisoners of Tanglewood could discern a dim outline of +Monument Mountain, and the smooth whiteness of the frozen lake at its +base, and the black or gray tracts of woodland in the nearer landscape. +But these were merely peeps through the tempest. + +Nevertheless, the children rejoiced greatly in the snowstorm. They had +already made acquaintance with it, by tumbling heels over head into its +highest drifts, and flinging snow at one another, as we have just +fancied the Berkshire mountains to be doing. And now they had come back +to their spacious play-room, which was as big as the great drawing-room, +and was lumbered with all sorts of playthings, large and small. The +biggest was a rocking-horse, that looked like a real pony; and there was +a whole family of wooden, waxen, plaster, and china dolls, besides +rag-babies; and blocks enough to build Bunker Hill Monument, and nine-pins, +and balls, and humming-tops, and battledores, and grace-sticks, and +skipping-ropes, and more of such valuable property than I could tell of +in a printed page. But the children liked the snow-storm better than +them all. It suggested so many brisk enjoyments for to-morrow, and all +the remainder of the winter. The sleigh-ride; the slides down hill into +the valley; the snow-images that were to be shaped out; the snow-fortresses +that were to be built; and the snow-balling to be carried on! + +So the little folks blessed the snow-storm, and were glad to see it come +thicker and thicker, and watched hopefully the long drift that was +piling itself up in the avenue, and was already higher than any of their +heads. + +“Why, we shall be blocked up till spring!” cried they, with the hugest +delight. “What a pity that the house is too high to be quite covered +up! The little red house, down yonder, will be buried up to its eaves.” + +“You silly children, what do you want of more snow?” asked Eustace, who, +tired of some novel that he was skimming through, had strolled into the +play-room. “It has done mischief enough already, by spoiling the only +skating that I could hope for through the winter. We shall see nothing +more of the lake till April; and this was to have been my first day upon +it! Don’t you pity me, Primrose?” + +“O, to be sure!” answered Primrose, laughing. “But, for your comfort, +we will listen to another of your old stories, such as you told us +under the porch, and down in the hollow, by Shadow Brook. Perhaps I +shall like them better now, when there is nothing to do, than while +there were nuts to be gathered, and beautiful weather to enjoy.” + +Hereupon, Periwinkle, Clover, Sweet Fern, and as many others of the +little fraternity and cousinhood as were still at Tanglewood, gathered +about Eustace, and earnestly besought him for a story. The student +yawned, stretched himself, and then, to the vast admiration of the +small people, skipped three times hack and forth over the top of a +chair, in order, as he explained to them, to set his wits in motion. + +“Well, well, children,” said he, after these preliminaries, “since you +insist, and Primrose has set her heart upon it, I will see what can be +done for you. And, that you may know what happy days there were before +snowstorms came into fashion, I will tell you a story of the oldest of +all old times, when the world was as new as Sweet Fern’s bran-new +humming-top. There was then but one season in the year, and that was +the delightful summer; and but one age for mortals, and that was +childhood.” + +“I never heard of that before,” said Primrose. + +“Of course, you never did,” answered Eustace. “It shall be a story of +what nobody but myself ever dreamed of,--a Paradise of children,--and +how, by the naughtiness of just such a little imp as Primrose here, it +all came to nothing.” + +So Eustace Bright sat down in the chair which he had just been skipping +over, took Cowslip upon his knee, ordered silence throughout the +auditory, and began a story about a sad naughty child, whose name was +Pandora, and about her playfellow Epimetheus. You may read it, word for +word, in the pages that come next. + + + +THE PARADISE OF CHILDREN. + +Long, long ago, when this old world was in its tender infancy, there was +a child, named Epimetheus, who never had either father or mother; and, +that he might not be lonely, another child, fatherless and motherless +like himself, was sent from a far country, to live with him, and be his +playfellow and helpmate. Her name was Pandora. + +The first thing that Pandora saw, when she entered the cottage where +Epimetheus dwelt, was a great box. And almost the first question which +she put to him, after crossing the threshold, was this,-- + +“Epimetheus, what have you in that box?” + +“My dear little Pandora,” answered Epimetheus, “that is a secret, and +you must be kind enough not to ask any questions about it. The box was +left here to be kept safely, and I do not myself know what it contains.” + +“But, who gave it to you?” asked Pandora. “And where did it come +from?” + +“That is a secret, too,” replied Epimetheus. + +“How provoking!” exclaimed Pandora, pouting her lip. “I wish the great +ugly box were out of the way!” + +“O come, don’t think of it, any more,” cried Epimetheus. “Let us run +out of doors, and have some nice play with the other children.” + +It is thousands of years since Epimetheus and Pandora were alive; and +the world, nowadays, is a very different sort of thing from what it was +in their time. Then, everybody was a child. There needed no fathers +and mothers to take care of the children; because there was no danger, +nor 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, he saw the tender bud of to-morrow’s breakfast. It was a +very pleasant life indeed. No labor to be done, no tasks to be studied; +nothing but sports and dances, and sweet voices of children talking, or +carolling like birds, or gushing out in merry laughter, throughout the +livelong day. + +What was most wonderful of all, the children never quarrelled among +themselves; neither had they any crying fits; nor, since time first +began, had a single one of these little mortals ever gone apart into a +corner, and sulked. O, 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 yet been seen on the +earth. It is probable that the very greatest disquietude which a child +had 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 +children. + +“Whence can the box have come?” Pandora continually 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. “I wish, dear Pandora, you would +try to talk of something 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 Pandora, 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.” + +“I am tired of merry times, and 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?” + +“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 confided 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 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. + +“O, 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, bought the serpents were alive.” + +“I know him,” said Pandora, thoughtfully. “Nobody else has such a +staff. It was Quicksilver; and he brought one hither, as well as the +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 figs 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 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 she did babble +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 bruising 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. Thus, a small vexation made as much +disturbance, 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 positively a very handsome 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 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 margin there were figures of graceful men and women, and the +prettiest children ever seen, reclining or sporting amid a profusion of +flowers and foliage; and these various objects were so exquisitely +represented, 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 that was disagreeable, and which stole the +beauty out of all the rest. Nevertheless, on looking more closely, and +touching 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 catching a sideway glimpse at it. + +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 mischievous 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 skilfullest fingers to disentangle them. And +yet, by the very difficulty that there was in it, Pandora was the more +tempted 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 and forefinger, but without positively trying to undo it. + +“I really believe,” said she to herself, “that I begin to see how it was +done. Nay, perhaps I could tie it up again, after undoing 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 untied.” + +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, toil is the real play. There was +absolutely nothing to do. A little sweeping and dusting about the +cottage, I suppose, and the gathering 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 blessing 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! 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. + +For it was really an endless employment to guess what was inside. What +could it be, indeed? Just imagine, my little hearers, how busy your +wits would be, if there were a great box in the house, which, as you +might have reason to suppose, contained something new and pretty for +your Christmas or New-Year’s gifts. Do you think that you should be +less curious than Pandora? 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. +O, 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 days, when the world itself was one great +plaything for the children that dwelt upon it. But Pandora was +convinced that there was something very beautiful and valuable in the +box; and therefore she felt just as anxious to take a peep as any of +these little girls, here around me, would have felt. And, possibly, a +little more so; but of that I am not quite so certain. + +On this particular day, however, which we have so long been talking +about, her curiosity grew so much greater than it usually was, that, at +last, she approached the box. She was more than half determined to open +it, if she could. Ah, naughty Pandora! + +First, however, she tried to lift it. It was heavy; quite too heavy for +the slender strength of a child, like Pandora. She raised one end of +the box a few inches from the floor, and let it fall again, with a +pretty loud thump. A moment afterwards, 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 was it merely the singing in Pandora’s ears? +Or could it be the beating of her heart? The child could not quite +satisfy herself whether she had heard anything or no. But, at all +events, her curiosity was stronger than ever. + +As she drew back her head, her eyes fell upon the knot of gold cord. + +“It must have been a very ingenious person who tied this knot,” said +Pandora to herself. “But I think I could untie it, nevertheless. I am +resolved, at least, to find the two ends of the cord.” + +So she took the golden knot in her fingers, and pried into its +intricacies as sharply as she could. Almost without intending it, or +quite knowing what she was about, she was soon busily engaged in +attempting 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 then. Pandora +stopped to listen. What a beautiful day it was! Would it not be wiser, +if she were to let the troublesome knot alone, and think no more about +the box, but run and join her little playfellows, and be happy? + +All this time, however, her fingers were half unconsciously busy with +the knot; and happening to glance at the flower-wreathed face on the lid +of the enchanted box, she seemed to perceive it slyly grinning at her. + +“That face looks very mischievous,” thought Pandora. “I wonder whether +it smiles because I am doing wrong! I have the greatest mind in the +world to run away!” + +But just then, by the merest accident, she gave the knot a kind of a +twist, which produced a wonderful result. The gold cord untwined +itself, as if by magic, and left the box without a fastening. + +“This is the strangest thing I ever knew!” said Pandora. “What will +Epimetheus say? And how can I possibly tie it up again?” + +She made one or two attempts to restore the knot, but soon found it +quite beyond her skill. It had disentangled itself so suddenly that she +could not 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 seemed to have gone entirely out of her mind. Nothing was +to be done, therefore, but to let the box remain as it was, until +Epimetheus should come in. + +“But,” said Pandora, “when he finds the knot untied, he will know that I +have done it. How shall I make him believe that I have not looked into +the box?” + +And then the thought came into her naughty little heart, that, since she +would be suspected of having looked into the box, she might just as well +do so, at once. O, very naughty and very foolish Pandora! You should +have thought only of doing what 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 if she had +not seemed to hear, more distinctly than before, the murmur of small +voices within. She could not tell whether it was fancy or no; but there +was quite a little tumult of whispers in her ear,--or else it was her +curiosity that whispered, + +“Let us out, dear Pandora,--pray let us out! We will be such nice +pretty playfellows for you! Only let us out!” + +“What can it be?” thought Pandora. “Is there something alive in the +box? Well!--yes!--I am resolved to take just one peep! Only one peep; +and then the lid shall be shut down as safely as ever! There cannot +possibly be any harm in just one little peep!” + +But it is now time for us to see what Epimetheus was doing. + +This was the first time, since his little playmate had come to dwell +with him, that he had attempted to enjoy any pleasure in which she did +not partake. But nothing went right; nor was he nearly so happy as on +other days. He could not find a sweet grape or a ripe fig (if +Epimetheus had a fault, it was a little too much fondness for figs); or, +if ripe at all, they were over-ripe, 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 what ailed him, any better than they did. For you must recollect, +that at the time we are speaking of, it was everybody’s nature, and +constant habit, to be happy. The world had not yet learned to be +otherwise. Not a single soul or body, since these children were first +sent to enjoy themselves on the beautiful earth, had ever been sick, or +out of sorts. + +At length, discovering that, somehow or other, he put a stop to all the +play, Epimetheus judged it best to go back to Pandora, who was in a +humor better suited to his own. But, with a hope of giving her +pleasure, he gathered some flowers, and 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 was put together with as much skill as could reasonably be +expected of a boy. The fingers of little girls, it has always appeared +to me, are the fittest to twine flower-wreaths; but boys could do it, in +those days, rather better than they can now. + +And here I must mention that a great black cloud had been gathering in +the sky, for some time past, although it had not yet overspread the sun. +But, just as Epimetheus reached the cottage door, this cloud began to +intercept the sunshine, and thus to make a sudden and sad obscurity. + +He entered softly; for he meant, if possible, to steal behind Pandora, +and fling the wreath of flowers over her head, before she should be +aware of his approach. But, as it happened, there was no need of his +treading so very lightly. He might have 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 naughty child had put her hand to the lid, and was on the +point of opening the mysterious box. Epimetheus beheld her. If he had +cried out, Pandora would probably have withdrawn her hand, and the fatal +mystery of the box might never have been known. + +But Epimetheus himself, although he said very little about it, had his +own share of curiosity to know what was inside. Perceiving that Pandora +was resolved to find out the secret, he determined that his playfellow +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 restraining +her curiosity, Epimetheus turned out to be quite as foolish, and nearly +as much in fault, as she. So, whenever we blame Pandora for what +happened, we must not forget to shake our heads at Epimetheus likewise. + +As Pandora raised the lid, the cottage grew very dark and dismal; for +the black cloud had now swept quite over the sun, and seemed to have +buried it alive. There had, for a little while past, been 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 a sudden swarm of +winged creatures brushed past her, taking flight out of the box, while, +at the same instant, she heard the voice of Epimetheus, with a +lamentable tone, as if he were in pain. + +“O, I am stung!” cried he. “I am stung! Naughty Pandora! why have you +opened this wicked box?” + +Pandora let fall the lid, and, starting up, looked about her, to see +what had befallen Epimetheus. The thundercloud had so darkened the room +that she could not very clearly discern what was in it. But she heard a +disagreeable buzzing, as if a great many huge flies, or gigantic +mosquitoes, or those insects which we call dorbugs 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. Nor was +it a great while before Pandora herself began to scream, in no less pain +and affright than her playfellow, and making a vast deal more hubbub +about it. An odious little monster had settled on her forehead, and +would have stung her I know not how deeply, if Epimetheus had not run +and brushed it away. + +Now, if you wish to know what these ugly things might be, which had made +their escape out of the box, I must tell you that they were the whole +family of earthly Troubles. There were evil Passions; there were a +great many species of Cares; there were more than a hundred and fifty +Sorrows; there 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 Pandora to be kept safely, in order that the happy +children of the world might never be molested by them. Had they been +faithful to their trust, all would have gone well. No grown person +would ever have been sad, nor any child have had cause to shed a single +tear, from that hour until this moment. + +But--and you may see by this how a wrong act of any one mortal is a +calamity to the whole world--by Pandora’s lifting the lid of that +miserable box, and by the fault of Epimetheus, too, in not preventing +her, these Troubles have obtained a foothold among us, and do not seem +very likely to be driven away in a hurry. For it was impossible, as you +will easily guess, that the two children should keep the ugly swarm 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 afterwards. And, what was very +singular, all the flowers and dewy blossoms on earth, not one of which +had hitherto faded, now began to droop and shed their leaves, after a +day or two. The children, moreover, who before seemed immortal in their +childhood, now grew older, day by day, and came soon 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, with a little of her former curiosity. +“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! There are plenty of your ugly brothers and +sisters already flying about the world. You need never think that I +shall be so foolish as to let you out!” + +She looked towards Epimetheus, as she spoke, perhaps expecting that he +would commend her for her wisdom. But the sullen boy only muttered that +she was wise a little too late. + +“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. They are no brothers and sisters of mine, as you would see at +once, if you were only to get a glimpse of me. Come, come, my pretty +Pandora! I am sure you will let me out!” + +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 insensibly 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,” answered he, but in no very good-humor as yet. +“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, in such a swarm as you have set adrift about the world, 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 an arch and +laughing tone. “He knows he is longing to see me. Come, my dear +Pandora, lift up the lid. I am in a great hurry to comfort you. Only +let me have some fresh air, and you shall soon see that matters are not +quite so dismal as you think them!” + +“Epimetheus,” exclaimed Pandora, “come what may, I am resolved to open +the box!” + +“And, as the lid seems very heavy,” cried Epimetheus, running across the +room, “I will help you!” + +So, with one consent, the two children again lifted the lid. Out flew a +sunny and smiling little personage, and hovered about the room, throwing +a light wherever she went. Have you never made the sunshine dance into +dark corners, by reflecting it from a bit of looking-glass? Well, so +looked the winged cheerfulness of this fairylike stranger, amid the +gloom of the cottage. She flew to Epimetheus, and laid the least touch +of her finger on the inflamed spot where the Trouble had stung him, and +immediately the anguish of it was gone. Then she kissed Pandora on the +forehead, and her hurt was cured likewise. + +After performing these good offices, the bright stranger fluttered +sportively over the children’s heads, and looked so sweetly at them, +that they both began to think it not so very much amiss 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 amends +to the human race for that swarm of ugly Troubles, which was destined to +be let loose among them. Never fear! we shall do pretty well, in spite +of them all.” + +“Your wings are colored like the rainbow!” exclaimed Pandora. “How +very beautiful!” + +“Yes, they are like the rainbow,” said Hope, “because glad as my nature +is, I am partly made of tears as well as smiles.” + +“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 desert +you. There may come times 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 see the glimmer of my +wings on the ceiling of your cottage. Yes, my dear children, and I know +something very good and beautiful that is to be given you hereafter!” + +“O tell us,” they exclaimed,--“tell us what it is!” + +“Do not ask me,” replied Hope, putting her finger on her rosy mouth. +“But do not despair, even if it should never happen while you live on +this earth. Trust in my promise, for it is true.” + +“We do trust you!” cried Epimetheus and Pandora, both in one breath. + +And so they did; and not only they, but so has everybody trusted Hope, +that has since been alive. And, to tell you the truth, I cannot help +being glad--(though, to be sure, it was an uncommonly naughty thing for +her to do)-but I cannot help being glad that our foolish Pandora peeped +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 older. But then that lovely and lightsome little figure of Hope! +What in the world could we do without her? Hope spiritualizes the +earth; Hope makes it always new; and, even in the earth’s best and +brightest aspect, Hope shows it to be only the shadow of an infinite +bliss hereafter! + + + +TANGLEWOOD PLAY-ROOM. + +AFTER THE STORY. + +“Primrose,” asked Eustace, pinching her ear, “how do you like my little +Pandora? Don’t you think her the exact picture of yourself? But you +would not have hesitated half so long about opening the box.” + +“Then I should have been well punished for my naughtiness,” retorted +Primrose, smartly; “for the first thing to pop out, after the lid was +lifted, would have been Mr. Eustace Bright, in the shape of a Trouble.” + +“Cousin Eustace,” said Sweet Fern, “did the box hold all the trouble +that has ever come into the world?” + +“Every mite of it!” answered Eustace. “This very snow-storm, which has +spoiled my skating, was packed up there.” + +“And how big was the box?” asked Sweet Fern. “Why, perhaps three feet +long,” said Eustace, “two feet wide, and two feet and a half high.” + +“Ah,” said the child, “you are making fun of me, Cousin Eustace! I know +there is not trouble enough in the world to fill such a great box as +that. As for the snow-storm, it is no trouble at all, but a pleasure; +so it could not have been in the box.” + +“Hear the child!” cried Primrose, with an air of superiority. “How +little he knows about the troubles of this world! Poor fellow! He will +be wiser when he has seen as much of life as I have.” + +So saying, she began to skip the rope. + +Meantime, the day was drawing towards its close. Out of doors the scene +certainly looked dreary. There was a gray drift, far and wide, through +the gathering twilight; the earth was as pathless as the air; and the +bank of snow over the steps of the porch proved that nobody had entered +or gone out for a good many hours past. Had there been only one child +at the window of Tanglewood, gazing at this wintry prospect, it would +perhaps have made him sad. But half a dozen children together, though +they cannot quite turn the world into a paradise, may defy old Winter +and all his storms to put them out of spirits. Eustace Bright, +moreover, on the spur of the moment, invented several new kinds of play, +which kept them all in a roar of merriment till bedtime, and served for +the next stormy day besides. + + + + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg’s The Paradise of Children, by Nathaniel Hawthorne + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PARADISE OF CHILDREN *** + +***** This file should be named 9256-0.txt or 9256-0.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/9/2/5/9256/ + +Produced by David Widger + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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