Long, long ago the people lied very happily in the beautiful world, and nobody was ever sick. At that time there was a beautiful little girl named Pandora.

 

One day a fairy gave her a wonderful box. It was tied with a golden cord and the fairy made her promise not to open it. Pandora and her little friend, Epimetheus, often looked at the box and wondered what was in it.

 

For a long time Pandora kept her promise to the fairy, but at last she wanted to peep into the box. She untied¹ the cord and lifted the lid a very little. Then hundreds of bad little fairies came out. They stung² Pandora and she fell screaming on the floor. They stung Epimetheus, too.

 

Then they flew out of the door and stung all the children in the world. By and by Pandora heard a little voice. It said, "let me out and I will help you.' She opened the box and out flew a beautiful little fairy. She told Pandora that her name was hope. She kissed her and Epimetheus and made them well. Then she flew away to help the other children.

 

To this day, when people are sick and unhappy, the good little fairy, hope, comes to comfort them.

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