4 Pandora

CHAPTER 4 Pandora From high up on Mount Olympus, the gods liked to play tricks on the humans below. There was once a shy young woman. She had long, silky hair and large, sky-blue eyes. She was sweet and lovely, and had beauty that shone like the sun. Since she had been blessed with these good qualities, she was called Pandora. Her name means "the gift of all." One day, Zeus saw her through the mist that separated Mount Olympus from the Earth. "Pandora is the most perfect of all

women," the god said. "She is no better or worse than any other mortal woman," said Hera, Zeus's jealous wife. "She is perfection," Zeus declared. "I say she is just like any mortal woman," Hera insisted. "And I shall prove it." "What are you going to do?" Zeus asked. "I shall give her this beautiful box," Hera said. "I will fill it with all the troubles that a mortal can have: sorrow, mischief, sickness, sadness, and death. When we give it to her, we will tell her not to open it. If she is as perfect as you say, then she will not be tempted. And mortals will have nothing to fear, for all their troubles will remain in the box." "I will throw in hope with the evils you've included," Zeus said. Hera and Zeus both went down from Mount Olympus. They gave

Pandora the magnificent box and warned her not to open it. Then Hera and Zeus returned to Mount Olympus to see what Pandora would do. Day after day, Pandora gazed at the lovely box. Its ruby-red stones sparkled in the moonlight. Its gold cover twinkled in the sunlight. It was beautiful. She should have been happy with it just as it was. But she wanted to know what was inside. Pandora could think of nothing else. Every day, Pandora walked to the box and reached for its lid. Then she'd pull her hand away before she could open it. "See," said Zeus. "I told you Pandora was perfect. She will not open it because we told her not to." "We shall see," Hera said. Many weeks went by. Pandora still gazed at the box every day. One day, she could

stand it no longer. She had to know what was inside. Pandora knelt before the box. Slowly, and with great delight, she lifted the heavy lid just a crack. She peeked inside. At once a terrible wind blew the lid wide open. The air was filled with a tornado of shrieks, whistles, moans, and cries. Sorrow, mischief, sickness, sadness, and death all escaped from the box Pandora had opened. In terror, Pandora clapped the lid down. But it was too late. All the evils that would trouble humankind forever flew out of Pandora's box that day. Everything escaped but one thing— hope. The hope that Zeus had put into the box remained. It was the only good thing the box contained. To this day hope is humankind's only comfort in times of trouble. "Now what do you say?" Hera asked Zeus. They watched the disaster that Pandora had

let loose upon the world. Zeus took a sip of nectar and a bite of ambrosia. "I'm waiting...," Hera said. "You were right and I was wrong," Zeus told her with a sigh. "But we shall see what happens the next time we play a trick on the mortals." "Yes. We shall see, indeed," Hera said with a satisfied smile.