answered Primrose , laughing . `` But , for your comfort , we will listen to another of your old stories , such as you told us under the porch , and down in the hollow , by Shadow Brook . Perhaps I shall like them better now , when there is nothing to do , than while there were nuts to be gathered , and beautiful weather to enjoy . '' Hereupon , Periwinkle , Clover , Sweet Fern , and as many others of the little fraternity and cousinhood as were still at Tanglewood , gathered about Eustace , and earnestly besought him for a story . The student yawned , stretched himself , and then , to the vast admiration of the small people , skipped three times hack and forth over the top of a chair , in order , as he explained to them , to set his wits in motion . `` Well , well , children , '' said he , after these preliminaries , `` since you insist , and Primrose has set her heart upon it , I will see what can be done for you . And , that you may know what happy days there were before snowstorms came into fashion , I will tell you a story of the oldest of all old times , when the world was as new as Sweet Fern 's bran-new humming-top . There was then but one season in the year , and that was the delightful summer ; and but one age for mortals , and that was childhood . '' `` I never heard of that before , '' said Primrose . `` Of course , you never did , '' answered Eustace . `` It shall be a story of what nobody but myself ever dreamed of , -- a Paradise of children , -- and how , by the naughtiness of just such a little imp as Primrose here , it all came to nothing . '' So Eustace Bright sat down in the chair which he had just been skipping over , took Cowslip upon his knee , ordered silence throughout the auditory , and began a story about a sad naughty child , whose name was Pandora , and about her playfellow Epimetheus . You may read it , word for word , in the pages that come next . THE PARADISE OF CHILDREN . Long , long ago , when this old world was in its tender infancy , there was a child , named Epimetheus , who never had either father or mother ; and , that he might not be lonely , another child , fatherless and motherless like himself , was sent from a far country , to live with him , and be his playfellow and helpmate . Her name was Pandora . The first thing that Pandora saw , when she entered the cottage where Epimetheus dwelt , was a great box . And almost the first question which she put to him , after crossing the threshold , was this , -- `` Epimetheus , what have you in that box ? '' `` My dear little Pandora , '' answered Epimetheus , `` that is a secret , and you must be kind enough not to ask any questions about it . The box was left here to be kept safely , and I do not myself know what it contains . ''
`` But , who gave it XXXXX you ? ''
Of about as at before from in like since to