Epimetheus went in quietly, for he wanted to surprise Pandora with the wreath of flowers.  And what do you think he saw?  The naughty little girl had put her hand on the lid of the box and was just going to open it.  Epimetheus saw this quite well, and if he had cried out at once it would have given Pandora such a fright she would have let go the lid.  But Epimetheus was very naughty too.  Although he had said very little about the box, he was just as curious as Pandora was to see what was inside:  if they really found anything pretty or valuable in it, he meant to take half of it for himself; so that he was just as naughty, and nearly as much to blame as his companion.

When Pandora raised the lid, the cottage had grown very dark, for the black cloud now covered the sun entirely and a heavy peal of thunder was heard.  But Pandora was too busy and excited to notice this:  she lifted the lid right up, and at once a swarm of creatures with wings flew out of the box, and a minute after she heard Epimetheus crying loudly:  “Oh, I am stung, I am stung!  You naughty Pandora, why did you open this wicked box?”

Pandora let the lid fall with a crash and started up to find out what had happened to her playmate.  The thunder-cloud had made the room so dark that she could scarcely see, but she heard a loud buzz-buzzing, as if a great many huge flies had flown in, and soon she saw a crowd of ugly little shapes darting about, with wings like bats and with terribly long stings in their tails.  It was one of these that had stung Epimetheus, and it was not long before Pandora began to scream with pain and fear.  An ugly little monster had settled on her forehead, and would have stung her badly had not Epimetheus run forward and brushed it away.

Now I must tell you that these ugly creatures with stings, which had escaped from the box, were the whole family of earthly troubles.  There were evil tempers, and a great many kinds of cares:  and there were more than a hundred and fifty sorrows, and there were diseases in many painful shapes.  In fact all the sorrows and worries that hurt people in the world to-day had been shut up in the magic-box, and given to Epimetheus and Pandora to keep safely, in order that the happy children in the world might never be troubled by them.  If only these two had obeyed Mercury and had left the box alone as he told them, all would have gone well.

But you see what mischief they had done.  The winged troubles flew out at the window and went all over the world:  and they made people so unhappy that no one smiled for a great many days.  It was very strange, too, that from this day flowers began to fade, and after a short time they died, whereas in the old times, before Pandora opened the box, they had been always fresh and beautiful.

Meanwhile Pandora and Epimetheus remained in the cottage:  they were very miserable and in great pain, which made them both exceedingly cross.  Epimetheus sat down sullenly in a corner with his back to Pandora, while Pandora flung herself on the floor and cried bitterly, resting her head on the lid of the fatal box.