Pandora's Box

There once was a girl named Pandora who lived in a warm, sunny land where the sky was always bright blue. One day, the great gods gave her a very special gift. It was a beautiful box with shiny swirls and bright colors. It was a very, very pretty box. The gods told her one important thing: 'Never, ever open it.' But oh, Pandora was so curious. She would sit and look at the box and wonder all day what could be inside. This is the story people now call Pandora's Box.

Every day, Pandora looked at the box. She shook the box gently. Buzz. Buzz. She heard tiny whispers and sounds inside. What was in the box? Maybe it was sparkly jewels. Maybe it was sweet-smelling flowers. One afternoon, on the 5th of June, Pandora could not wait anymore. 'Just one tiny peek won't hurt,' she thought. She slowly lifted the lid, just a little crack. Whoosh. Out flew a cloud of little grey things that looked like grumpy moths. They were all the world's troubles: buzzing worries and sad feelings. They fluttered out the window and spread all over the world. Pandora was so surprised that she slammed the lid shut right away.

Pandora felt sad that she had let all the grumpy things out. But then, she heard a tiny, gentle tapping sound from inside the box. Tap, tap, tap. She was a little scared, but she slowly opened the lid again. This time, something beautiful flew out. It was a tiny, glowing light, like a little golden butterfly. It danced in the air and filled the room with a warm, happy feeling. This was Hope. It flew out into the world to help everyone when they felt sad or worried. This story helps us remember that even when things are tricky, there is always a little light of hope to make everything better.