Gods and Heroes; or, The Kingdom of JupiterFrancillon, R. E. (Robert Edward)
General
Gods and Heroes; or, The Kingdom of Jupiter
Francillon, R. E. (Robert Edward)
Mythology, Classical -- Juvenile literature
So she told Prometheus to follow her up Mount Olympus; but she did not
notice a little twig that he carried in his hand: and if she had
noticed it, she would not have thought it mattered. Wise people don't
notice all the little things that cunning people do. Then she opened
the golden gate of the sky, and let him in. She was very kind, and
showed him everything. He went over the palace of the gods, and saw
Jupiter's great ivory throne, and his eagle, and the brew-house where
the nectar is made. He looked at the places behind the clouds, where
they keep the rain and snow. Then they looked at all the stars; and
at last they came to the Stables of the Sun. For you must know that
the sun is a great fiery car, drawn by four white horses from the east
to the west, and is put away in a stable during the night-time, where
the four horses eat wheat made of gold.
"Now you have seen everything," said Minerva; "and you must go."
"Thank you," said Prometheus. And he went back to earth again. But
just as he was leaving, he touched one of the wheels of the sun with
his little twig, so that a spark came off upon the end.
The spark was still there when he got home. He touched his lump of
clay with the spark of Heavenly Fire--and, lo and behold, the lump of
clay became a living man!
"There!" said Prometheus. "There's Something that will give the gods
more trouble than anything that ever was made!"
It was the First Man.
* * * * *
Jupiter very soon found out what Prometheus had done, and was very
vexed and annoyed. He forgave Minerva, who was his favorite daughter,
but he said to the god of Fire: "Make something that will trouble the
man even more than the man will trouble me."
So the god of Fire took another lump of clay, and a great deal of
Heavenly Flame, and made the First Woman.
All the gods admired her very much, for she had been made very
nicely--better than the man. Jupiter said to her, "My child, go to
Prometheus and give him my compliments, and tell him to marry you."
The gods and goddesses thought it a good idea, and all of them made
her presents for her wedding. One gave her beauty, another wit,
another fine clothes, and so on; but Jupiter only gave her a little
box, which was not to be opened till her wedding-day.
* * * * *
Prometheus was sitting one day at his door, thinking how clever he
was, when he saw, coming down Olympus, the most beautiful creature he
had ever seen. As soon as she came close--
"Who are you?" he asked. "From where do you come?"
"My name is Pandora," said she. "And I am come from the skies to marry
you."
"With all my heart," said Prometheus. "You will be a very nice wife, I
am sure. But--let me see--Pandora means 'All Gifts,' doesn't it? What
have you got to give me, to keep house upon?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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