Lilian Stoughton Hyde (1863–1947)

Summary:

This book is filled with lots of ancient Greek myths - I will be reviewing "How Troubles Came Into the World".

Prometheus and Epimetheus were brothers, living in a wonderful age where nobody ever grew old. It was a wonderful world. There was no violence, the rivers flowed with milk and nectar, people feasted on fruit and honey all day and there was no work to do.

One day Prometheus decided he would leave town for a while, for he had stolen fire from the gods and given it to mankind, show more and he wanted to lay low and avoid the gods wrath. Before he left, he warned his brother Epimetheus not to receive any gifts from the gods.

Well, of course Epimetheus didn't listen. One day Mercury showed up at his door with a beautiful woman named Pandora, claiming the gods didn't want him to be lonely while his brother was away. Pandora was so beautiful that Epimetheus couldn't refuse her, so the two lived together in harmony. After a while the gods sent Epimetheus another gift, a beautifully decorated box that they warned him not to open. Epimetheus accepted the beautiful object and put it in the corner of their cottage.

One day while Epimetheus was out, Pandora's curiosity got the best of her and she opened the box, and a million little winged creatures escaped. They stung her mercilessly and began spreading trouble all over the world. People began to age and quarrel. However, Pandora also let out a tiny winged creature who was a little different, named Hope. This creature flew around helping people deal with their troubles and doing her best to contain all the damage Pandora caused.

Personal Comments / Reflection:

I like myths like this that incorporate underlying morals and themes into an easy to understand message that would appeal to kids. Most people have heard of "Pandora's Box" and the mystery behind that saying is still appealing to young readers. The idea that hope is never too far behind trouble provides a nice morality twist in the story too. I can see this story being appreciated by young readers as it points to a neat and imaginative origin tale for trouble and hope. show less

I grew up reading this book over and over and loved it. It seems to cover most of the Greek myths and is illustrated with black and white photographs of greek statuary and paintings relevant to the contents of the book.