The Paradise of Children by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Paradise of Children is Hawthorne’s tale about the wickedly curious Pandora, who shouldn’t have looked inside that box! Published in the 1920 collection, Wonder Stories: The Best Myths for Boys and Girls, edited by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey. __________ 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 by the gods to be his playfellow and helpmate. Her name was Pandora. The first thing that Pandora saw when she entered the cottage where Epimetheus lived was a great box. And almost the first question that she put to him 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.“