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 humour, 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.  Oh, 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 afterward, 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.”