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diff --git a/37916.txt b/37916.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c751d48 --- /dev/null +++ b/37916.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3055 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Star People, by Gaylord Johnson + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Star People + +Author: Gaylord Johnson + +Release Date: November 4, 2011 [EBook #37916] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE STAR PEOPLE *** + + + + +Produced by Juliet Sutherland, eagkw and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + THE STAR PEOPLE + + + + + [Illustration] + + THE MACMILLAN COMPANY + + NEW YORK A. BOSTON A. CHICAGO A. DALLAS + ATLANTA A. SAN FRANCISCO + + MACMILLAN & CO., LIMITED + + LONDON A. BOMBAY A. CALCUTTA + MELBOURNE + + THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD. + + Toronto + + + + + THE STAR PEOPLE + + BY + + GAYLORD JOHNSON + + WITH DRAWINGS ON SAND AND BLACKBOARD + BY "UNCLE HENRY AND THE SOCIETY + OF STAR-GAZERS" + + "Why did not somebody teach me the constellations, and + make me at home in the starry heavens, which are always + overhead and which I don't half know to this day?" + --_Thomas Carlyle._ + + New York + THE MACMILLAN COMPANY + 1921 + + _All rights reserved_ + + + + + COPYRIGHT, 1921 + BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY + + Set up and electrotyped. Published June, 1921. + + + + + TO + BABY ANNE + + + + +WHAT HAPPENED IN STARLAND + + PAGE + FIRST EVENING-- + In which the Society of Star Gazers is formed and + discovers Two Bears, one with a stretched tail 1 + + SECOND EVENING-- + The Herdsman's Dogs chase Ursa Major and the terrible + Dragon wriggles away in fright 12 + + THIRD EVENING-- + Uncle Henry's magic turns the Lyre into a Ukelele, and + the Archer's arrow misses the Swan and hits the Scorpion 24 + + FOURTH EVENING-- + The Virgin is too busy feeding her Sky Poultry, so + Cassiopeia gets the Ukelele to play 31 + + FIFTH EVENING-- + In which a Dolphin with an ear for music saves a Poet's + life--and Uncle Henry puts two birds in one poem 41 + + FIRST WINTER EVENING-- + The "Society" learns why Orion needs a club to keep + Frisky Taurus in order, and why we say "By Jimini!" when + we're excited 52 + + SECOND WINTER EVENING-- + In which the dogs of Orion and Gemini follow their + masters, Pegasus escapes as usual, and Andromeda gets a + nice soft bed of hay in place of her hard old rock 61 + + THIRD WINTER EVENING-- + The Sky clouded over, but Peter found the Star People + hiding in the Almanac--Paul found that his head was the + World--and the "Society" found out about the Swastika and + the Zodiac, and how you tell when a Dipper is a Plough + and when it's a Wagon 78 + + FOURTH WINTER EVENING-- + In which the "Society" meets the last of the Star People + and the beginning of Astronomy--and Betty proposes a + "Note" of thanks 99 + + + + +_TO HELP YOU FIND THE STAR PEOPLE IN THE SKY_ + +_Whenever Uncle Henry draws a line to point out one of the star people +you will find a figure, close to what he says, like this: (10)._ + +_Find the same figure on one of the maps inside the front or back cover, +and you will see the line that Uncle Henry drew--and find the star +person or animal easily in the sky._ + +_Numbers 1 to 17 can be located on the front cover maps. Numbers 18 to +32 can be found on the maps inside the back cover._ + + +_To Use the Maps_ + +_Face South and hold the map for the proper season over your head--with +the top of the book toward the West and the bottom toward the East. You +will then see the Star People in the same places they appear in the +sky._ + +_The maps are drawn for 9 o'clock on April 1st, July 1st, October 1st, +and January 1st, but they will be found serviceable in the preceding and +following month. When necessary consult the maps for the season coming +before or after._ + + +WHERE TO FIND THE "PEOPLE" YOU WANT + + _Where to _Where to _When You Can + _Names of _How to Look in Look on See Them in + Star People_ Pronounce_ the Book_ the Maps_ the Sky_ + + Andromeda (an-dromES-e-dA) Page 70 Number 25 Sept. to Feb. + Aquarius (a-kwAeES-ri-us) " 50 " 19 Aug. " Dec. + Aquila (akES-wi-lA) " 48 " 17 June " Nov. + Aries (aES-ri-Ae"z) " 75 " 28 Sept. " Feb. + Auriga (Ac-riES-ga) " 105 " 32 Oct. " June + BoAtes (bA-AES-tez) " 16 " 2 April " Oct. + Cancer (kanES-ser) " 73 " 27 Jan. " June + Canes (kAeES-nez + Venatici ve-natES-i-cAe") " 17 " 2 Feb. " Sept. + Canis Major (kAeES-nis mAeES-jor) " 62 " 22 Jan. " April + Canis Minor (kAeES-nis mAe"ES-nor) " 72 " 26 Dec. " May + Capricornus (kap-ri-kA'rES-nus) " 49 " 18 Aug. " Nov. + Cassiopeia (kas-i-A-pAe"ES-ya) " 35 " 12 Jan. " Dec. + Cerberus (seerES-ber-us) " 38 " 14 April " Nov. + Corona (kA-rAES-nA + Borealis bA-rAe"-aES-lis) " 33 " 11 April " Oct. + Cygnus (sigES-nus) " 21 " 4 June " Jan. + Delphinus (del-fiES-nus) " 44 " 16 June " Dec. + Draco (drAeES-ko) " 23 " 5 Jan. " Dec. + Gemini (jemES-i-ni) " 59 " 21 Dec. " June + Hercules (herES-kA"-lAe"z) " 38 " 14 April " Nov. + Leo (leES-o) " 20 " 3 Feb. " July + Leo Minor (leES-o mAe"-nor) " 20 " 3 Jan. " July + Lepus (lAe"ES-pus) " 64 " Dec. " March + Libra (lAe"ES-bra) " 36 " 13 May " Aug. + Lyra (lAe"ES-ra) " 25 " 6 April " Dec. + Ophiuchus (of-i-A"ES-kus) " 42 " 15 May " Oct. + Orion (A-rAe"ES-on) " 56 " 20 Nov. " April + Pegasus (pegES-a-sus) " 67 " 23 Aug. " Jan. + Perseus (perES-sA"s) " 102 " 30 Sept. " May + Pisces (pisES-Ae"z) " 76 " 29 Sept. " Feb. + Sagitta (sa-jitES-a) " 26 " 16 June " Dec. + Sagittarius (saj-i-tAeES-ri-us) " 27 " 7 July " Sept. + Scorpio (skA cubedrES-pi-A) " 29 " 9 June " Sept. + Serpens (serES-pens) " 42 " 15 May " Oct. + Taurus (tAcES-rus) " 58 " 20 Nov. " April + Triangulum (trAe"-anES-gA"-lum) " 75 " 31 Sept. " Feb. + Ursa Major (erES-sa mAeES-jor) " 7 " 1 Jan. " Dec. + Ursa Minor (erES-sa mAe"ES-nor) " 10 " 1 Jan. " Dec. + Virgo (verES-gA) " 33 " 10 April " Aug. + + +STAR PEOPLE ON MAPS BUT NOT TALKED ABOUT BY "THE SOCIETY" + + (a) Hydra (hAe"ES-dra) (d) Cepheus (sAe"fES-A"s) + (b) Crater (krAeES-ter) (e) Cetus (sAe"ES-tus) + (c) Corvus (kA'rES-vus) (f) Eridanus (Ae"-ridES-a-nus) + + + + +THE STAR PEOPLE + +FIRST EVENING + + IN WHICH THE SOCIETY OF STAR-GAZERS IS FORMED AND DISCOVERS TWO + BEARS--ONE WITH A STRETCHED TAIL + + +Uncle Henry sat on the porch of "Seven Oaks" Cottage, watching the new +moon sink into the woods across Sand Lake. + +The ripples of the motor-boat that had carried "Sister" and "The +Children's Father" away from the dock had gone from the glassy water. +Over across the lake, at Pentecost station, they would catch the ten +o'clock train, to be gone a week. + +Uncle Henry had urged "Sister" to go. He had said he was perfectly sure +of being able to look after Peter and Paul and Betty for just seven +days, but now that "Sister" was really gone Uncle Henry felt the size of +the task he had undertaken. + +Of course he wasn't alone. There was big, wholesome Katy, the maid. +"Competent Katy," he had at once named her to himself on his arrival two +weeks before. The sleeping, eating, and dressing of twin ten-year-old +boys and a seven-year-old girl would go on as usual without Uncle +Henry's assistance. + +In the daytime he planned to take them fishing, berry-picking, sailing, +and bathing. Target-practice with Peter and Paul's air-rifle would +help, too, and there would be walks in the woods, and up to Brighton's +farm house for the milk every evening. + +But between supper and bed was a gap that Uncle Henry thought might be +hard to fill. He must think of some games. He didn't want to be a poor +companion for his adored niece and nephews for even an hour of the time. + +Uncle Henry blew a cloud from his pipe and watched it eddy slowly away, +filtering through the leaves of the oak-branches at the side of the +porch. Then he looked up to the vaporous band of the milky way. Stars +hung in it, sparkling. It was like a chiffon streamer with tiny diamond +spangles--or a cloud of smoke, blown, with sparks, from the pipe of Pan. + +You will see right away that Uncle Henry was a poet, even if Pan's pipe +wasn't the smoking kind. It might have been, as easy as not. Uncle Henry +was wondering whether this last fancy might be made into a poem for his +college paper, when the children's voices floated up from the beach. +They were sitting on the smooth sand and singing in unison, + + "Star bright, star-light-- + Many's the star I see tonight. + Star bright, star-light-- + Tell me, is it true? + + I wish I may, I wish I might + Get the wish I wish tonight-- + Star bright, star-light, + Tell me, is it true?" + +Uncle Henry took his feet off the porch-railing and allowed his chair +to use all of its feet again. Then he leaned out by a post and looked +straight up into the blue-black vault of a moonless July night sky. The +stars were beautifully clear. + +Evidently Peter, Paul, and Betty were singing praise to the fact. They +had clapped enthusiastically for themselves, and were now beginning the +encore--a repetition of "Star bright, star-light." + +Uncle Henry's face had become thoughtful, and now he stepped down from +the porch, and strolled down the boards to the dock. There he stood +craning his neck backward and looking up, until the children had once +more finished the verse, laughing and clapping. Evidently the applause +for themselves was not enough this time, for there was no encore. + +Peter, his eye on Uncle Henry, flopped down on his back and began gazing +upward, too. In a moment he called, + +"Uncle Hen?" + +"Yes, Pete," from the dock, where Uncle Henry was star-gazing in the +opposite direction. + +"Why do they call 'the big dipper' the 'great bear'--and _is_ there any +'little dipper'? Betty says there isn't, 'cause she never saw it." + +Uncle Henry stepped off the dock upon the smooth sand, kneeled down, and +without answering began collecting little smooth pebbles. + +Peter sat up and asked in surprise, + +"Don't _you_ know, Uncle Hen?" + +Surely this genius, who could make new kinds of kites, and +willow-whistles that "worked fine," was not going to fail now. The +other children turned to him, expectant too. Betty herself was willing +to be proved wrong about the existence of the "little dipper," rather +than admit a limit to Uncle Henry's wisdom. + +"Let's make a nice, smooth place on the sand," said Uncle Henry, his +hands now full of those mysterious pebbles. These he put into his pocket +and began, on all fours, to smooth sand industriously. + +"Come on, youngsters," he invited, "and I'll let you settle the +questions yourselves. We'll make a game of it," he added. + +The trio breathed easier. Uncle Henry _did_ know, and was going to +tell--in a new, interesting way. Three pairs of hands started smoothing +sand, with some waste of energy, but with rapid results. + +"Now," said Uncle Henry, squatting down before the leveled place, and +pouring out the pebbles in a little pile, "how many stones do you need +to make the dipper, Pete? We'll draw it on the sand, with pebbles for +stars." + +Three necks craned upward in unison, and the two boys' voices answered, +almost together, + +"Seven." + +Betty gazed a moment longer, and said, + +"Eight." + +Uncle Henry looked interested. + +"Where do you see the eighth, Betty?" he asked. + +"Right close where the handle bends," announced Betty. + +"Correct," said Uncle Henry, "that shows you have good eyes. The Arabs +used to call that little star 'the proof,' because it is a test of good +eyesight to see it. The star at the bend of the handle is also called +'the horse,' and that faint little star over it 'the rider.' You can +make the dipper itself with seven pebbles, though. Go ahead and do it, +Peter," Uncle Henry finished, "and take good-sized stones, to show that +they're bright stars." + +When Peter had finished, the smooth patch of sand looked like this in +the light from Uncle Henry's pocket electric torch. + +[Illustration] + +Betty insisted upon adding a tiny stone above "the horse," to represent +her discovery, "the rider." + +"Now," said Uncle Henry, looking upward, "I'll help you this much in +finding all of 'the great bear.' The handle of the dipper is his tail. +Everybody try to find the rest of him. Put down a pebble in the right +spot for every star; big ones for bright ones, and little stones for +faint ones." + +"Ooh," interrupted Betty, "I got his nose!" + +Here is where Betty put it. + +[Illustration] + +"--and his shoulders!" she added in a moment, putting them in with small +pebbles. + +"I got his front leg!" announced Paul excitedly, adding three pebbles +rapidly. + +Then the bear looked like this. + +[Illustration] + +It was Peter who contributed his hind legs and his "skeleton," made of +finger-drawn lines in the sand. Like this. + +[Illustration] + +And when Uncle Henry had drawn an outline in the sand with his finger, +the "great bear" was done to everybody's satisfaction. + +[Illustration] + +While they were all looking at it, Uncle Henry recited, + + "_Ursa Major_'s Latin-- + And it means, 'the greater bear.' + _Ursa_'s 'bear,' and _Major_'s 'bigger,' + If you want to see his 'figger,' + At the dipper's handle stare-- + That's the tail of _Ursa Major_. + Find his shoulders, nose, and toes-- + Who first named him, no one knows." + +"Did you say, 'Noah'--or 'no one,' Uncle Henry?" asked Betty. + +"I said, 'no one,' but have it 'Noah' if you like," said Uncle Henry. +"Maybe Noah named him. He was interested in animals, and Adam ought not +to have the only right to name them." + +"Now let's find the little dipper!" urged Peter, anxious for a victory +over Betty's doubts of its existence. + +"When we find it," announced Uncle Henry solemnly, "it won't be a dipper +at all; it will be another bear--a little bear. You know that Noah had +two of everything in his ark." + +"I told you there wasn't any little dipper!" shrilled Betty at Peter. + +"Uncle Henry said we'd find it, though," countered Peter, looking +hopefully at the oracle. + +"So we will," laughed Uncle Henry, "the little dipper and the little +bear are the same thing!" + +"Come on!" urged Paul, "how do we start, Uncle Henry?" + +Uncle Henry got up on his knees and drew a long straight line in the +sand with his forefinger. (1) It went up through both stars in the +middle of the great bear's body, and a long way beyond. Over three times +the distance between the two stars the line went beyond them. Uncle +Henry put down a fair-sized pebble at the end. + +"There," he said, "is the tip of the little bear's tail. Go ahead and +find him; but I warn you--it's a very long tail, and you'll have to +imagine his legs and nose." + +There was a moment's silence. Then Peter said, + +"I can't see any bear, but I _can_ make out a dipper." + +"Make it," said Uncle Henry. + +[Illustration] + +When Peter finished putting down little pebbles the little dipper was +very plain, just above the great bear's back. + +Then Uncle Henry solemnly drew an outline around the seven small +pebbles. + +[Illustration] + +"Oooh, what a funny bear!" laughed Betty, when Uncle Henry's finger had +finished. "His tail is so _long_!" + +"Bears always have _short_ tails," said Peter, looking reproachfully at +Uncle Henry, as if that person was responsible. There was, however, a +note of expectancy in Peter's voice. He expected a satisfactory +explanation from Uncle Henry. + +"This bear _once_ had as short a tail as any other bear," said Uncle +Henry, quite undisturbed. + +"Who stretched it?" inquired Paul breathlessly. + +"You will note," began Uncle Henry, "that the tip of the little bear's +tail is a star that is right at the top of the North Pole. You can't +_see_ the pole, but it's there--and long ago somebody tied the tip of +the little bear's tail fast to it. As the earth turned around year after +year, and the pole turned with it, the little bear was swung round and +round by his tail. That would make anybody's tail stretch, wouldn't it?" + +There was a moment's quiet. Then Peter said roguishly, + +"You can't kid us into believing that, Uncle Hen--but we'll sure +remember it." + +All Uncle Henry said was, + +"Your mother doesn't like you to talk slang, Peter." + +Uncle Henry had scored again, and knew it. + +"To-morrow night we'll find the dragon, and the man who drives the great +bear around the pole, and his dogs, and maybe the lions and the swan," +promised Uncle Henry, as he looked at his watch and stood up. + +"Oooh, great!" cried the trio together. + +"We'll have a reg'lar Noah's Ark on that sand, won't we?" said Betty. + +"We'll call it 'Noah's Ark in the Sky,'" Uncle Henry agreed, as the +children followed him up the walk to Seven Oaks Cottage. + + + + +SECOND EVENING + + THE HERDSMAN'S DOGS CHASE URSA MAJOR--AND THE TERRIBLE DRAGON + WRIGGLES AWAY IN FRIGHT + + +The next evening Peter, Paul, and Betty were all down on the beach as +soon as supper was over. + +Peter and Paul had that morning made a fence of laths around the sand +drawings of the two bears--big, and little, so that "Rags," their +Airedale puppy, could not spoil them. + +Now that "Rags" was asleep under the cottage, Peter and Paul removed +the fence and smoothed the sand carefully for several yards around the +bears, while Betty collected a quite unnecessarily large number of +pebbles to represent the stars that would be found, with Uncle Henry's +help, when the twilight faded. + +When all this was done the trio sat down beside the smoothed space and +called to Uncle Henry, on the porch, that one star was already out and +he had better hurry. + +"I'll come when you can see _Ursa Major's_ tail," called back Uncle +Henry, and the children had to wait, although they shrilly announced +each new star that glowed into sight in the darkening sky, and +repeatedly urged Uncle Henry to "come on and begin!" + +The seven stars of the big dipper were all plainly visible when Uncle +Henry came down the board walk and sat cross-legged on the sand. + +The first thing he did was to extend the line joining the last two +pebbles in the great bear's tail until it was about five times as long +as before, and curved slightly downward as it went. (2) + +"Now, Betty," he said, "give me a pebble--a good big one. This is a +bright star we'll begin with; see if you can find it," and Uncle Henry +put down the pebble at the end of the line, like this. + +[Illustration] + +The three exclaimed, "I see it!" almost together. + +"All right, then, we'll find '_BoAtes_,' the herdsman who drives _Ursa +Major_ round the pole," said Uncle Henry. "He has two dogs to help him +besides. We'll find them too." + +The children gazed upward for some time, intently silent. + +"I guess," observed Betty finally, "that you'll have to tell us whether +that big star is the bear-driver's head--or one of his 'booties,' Uncle +Henry." + +A duet of groans from Peter and Paul followed this example of the lowest +form of wit. + +"I can't see anything that looks like a man the least bit," she went on, +oblivious of the groans, "but I can see a kite, with that big star at +the place where the tail would be fastened on." + +"Fine," said Uncle Henry, "Make the kite then, Betty--and then we'll +find the herdsman after we've flown the kite a while. That's the +wonderful thing about Starland. If you get tired of one of the beasts +or people in it--presto! You can change him into anything he looks +like to you. _BoAtes_ is really much more like a kite than a man, so +let's make the kite. Put the pebbles down, Betty." + +Betty did, and they looked like this. + +[Illustration] + +"That was easy!" exclaimed Peter. + +"Never you mind, Mr. Peter!" Betty burst out warmly, "I found it first, +anyhow!" + +"We'll let Peter find the bear-driver's head," said Uncle Henry +judicially. + +Peter promptly picked the big star at the tail-end of the kite. + +"You're wrong," said Uncle Henry, "but I don't blame you. _Arcturus_ is +much too bright and beautiful to be only a big, bright button on the +lower edge of _BoAtes'_ shepherd's kilt--but that is all it is. The star +at the top end of the kite is his head, and the two stars at the ends of +the cross-stick of the kite are his shoulders. About halfway from them +to _Arcturus_ you can find the belt of his kilt, and----" + +"Oh, I see his legs!" interrupted Paul. "He's running after the big +bear." + +"Put them in, Paul," said Uncle Henry. + +Paul did, and the figure of _BoAtes_ grew to look like this. + +[Illustration] + +"But he hasn't any arms!" said Peter. + +"Yes, he has," explained Uncle Henry, "his left one is up in the air, +and his right one holds a shepherd's crook upon his right shoulder. Like +this." + +Uncle Henry added pebbles and lines until _BoAtes_ was finished. + +[Illustration] + +"What awful short legs he has!" criticised Betty. + +"That must be why he's never caught the great bear," smiled Uncle Henry. + +"What's he shaking his fist for?" inquired Paul, pointing to the +herdsman's left hand. "Is he so mad because he can't catch _Ursa +Major_?" + +Uncle Henry did not reply, but drew two long lines from the uplifted +hand downward to a point just below the end of the big bear's tail. + +"Oh, I know!" piped Betty, and throwing herself on her back, she began +to star-gaze industriously. + +Peter and Paul looked at each other inquiringly. + +"The dogs!" said Peter. "Betty's looking for them. They're on leash of +course. Those lines are the leashes." + +Uncle Henry smiled his pleasure. + +"The hunting dogs--or, as you would say it in Latin, _Canes Venatici_, +are largely imaginary. There are six stars--three in each dog, and all +faint except one, named _Cor Caroli_." + +"I see the bright one!" said Peter, and put down a fair-sized pebble to +represent it. When the children had found the five other faint stars and +Uncle Henry had finished drawing the dogs, _BoAtes_ and his hunting +hounds, _Asterion_ and _Chara_, looked like this. + +[Illustration] + +"Why do they call the bright star at the tail of _Chara_, _Cor Caroli_, +Uncle Henry?" asked Paul. + +"It is Latin for 'heart of Charles,'" said Uncle Henry, "and the Charles +they mean is Charles the Second of England, but don't ask me why, for +I don't know. Perhaps the dog _Chara_ ran away with _Cor Caroli_. I +understand that Charles the Second lost his heart pretty often, and +perhaps one time he didn't get it back. Beware, Paul! I am Father +William out of Alice in Wonderland; 'you have asked me three questions +and that is enough.'" + +"Are you going to make a poem for us to-night, too?" inquired Betty +hopefully. + +"Let me see," said Uncle Henry thoughtfully. "Great bear, _BoAtes_, +pronounced BA-A-tees, and two dogs--they ought to make some kind +of a poem. How's this? I'll let you name it after you've heard it." + + "The big bear runs, the herdsman runs, + His dogs, they both are chasing. + + While Ursa growls, BoAtes howls, + His dogs, they both are barking. + + For Ursa stole BoAtes' bowl + Of hot milk, set acooling. + + His mouth burns yet, the bowl's upset, + The milky way is streaming." + +"The milky way to catch a bear," suggested Paul, as a name for the +poem. + +"Who spilt the milk?" volunteered Peter. + +"The herdsman hasn't ever caught _Ursa Major_," said Betty reflectively, +"so he's wasting his time chasing him. 'Don't cry over spilt milk' would +be a good title, I think. He ought to be tending his silly sheep, if he +has any." + +"I've got it!" exclaimed Peter, "'Ursa was a big bear; Ursa was a +thief.' Like 'Taffy the Welshman,' you know." + +Since no one else had a better title, the "Society of Star-Gazers," as +Paul had named it, let it go at that, and allowed BoAtes to persist in +his pursuit of the great bear for his ancient mischief. + +"I thought you were going to show us the lions to-night, Uncle Hen," +said Peter. + +"So I am, Peter," said Uncle Henry. "Tell me what you see just below and +between _Ursa Major's_ hind feet." + +All the children looked, and Peter answered, + +"Three faint stars, like a triangle." + +"Put them in with pebbles," said Uncle Henry, and Peter did. + +"That's one lion; the little one. Now we'll find the big one and draw +them both." + +[Illustration] + +Then Uncle Henry drew a long line through the two stars at the root of +the great bear's tail, and extended it to the three little pebbles in a +triangle under the bear's feet, and through the triangle, and beyond as +far again. At the end of this line he put a large pebble. (3) + +"There," said Uncle Henry, "is the star _Regulus_, which is in the big +lion's heart. See if you can find the rest of him." + +Betty soon picked out the lion's head, and Paul added his hind quarters, +and when Uncle Henry had drawn outlines around both big and little lions +they looked like this. + +[Illustration] + +"Now show us the Swan," urged Peter. + +"Yes, and the Dragon!" reminded Paul. + +"You children haven't forgotten a single one I promised," laughed Uncle +Henry. "Well, here goes; everybody find the dipper again." + +Everybody did. + +"Now draw a line straight up through the middle of the dipper's bowl and +keep on with it a little over three times the length of the dipper's +handle. (4) Put a large pebble there and see if you can find the star. +It's in the swan's tail, and he looks as if he was flying overhead, with +his wings spread, and his long neck stretched out ahead of him." + +"Is he sort of like a cross?" inquired Betty after a moment. + +"Right," said Uncle Henry. "Put him in with pebbles." + +This shows how to find and draw the swan the way the children and Uncle +Henry did. + +[Illustration] + +"Now the dragon, Uncle Hen!" urged Peter. + +"Are you sure," said Uncle Henry, "that you promise not to have any bad +dreams about the dragon if I show him to you before you go to bed?" + +"Sure!" chorused the Society of Star-Gazers. + +"Well," said Uncle Henry, "the dragon is very terrible, but he is afraid +of bears, so he is squirming away as fast as he can from them. He is +wriggling a little faster too, because _Ursa Major_ is on one side of +him and _Ursa Minor_ on the other. Draw a line through the stars in the +tips of the swan's wings, back toward the head of the bear-driver, and +you'll find the dragon's head about halfway. (5) It's a little triangle +of stars, and from that the dragon's body winds around the little bear's +body and down above the big bear's back." + +"I see all of him!" exclaimed Paul. + +"Here are the pebbles," said Uncle Henry, "put the dragon, or _Draco_, +where he belongs." + +Paul did, and Uncle Henry finished him. + +"To-morrow night," said Uncle Henry, "we'll find some more of the star +people and sky animals. They even have musical instruments in this +Skyland of ours, so we'll find the lyre that the sky ladies play on! One +of the sky gentlemen is a great archer, too, so we'll find him shooting +his bow and arrow at a giant scorpion, and----" + +"Oh, let's find _that_ now!" pleaded Peter and Paul in unison. + +Betty did not join in the chorus. She was asleep, with her head in Uncle +Henry's lap. + +[Illustration] + +"To-morrow night," smiled Uncle Henry. "Betty will want to hear, too, +about the sky lady's mandolin, or harp, or lyre, or whatever it is." + +Then he picked up the little girl without waking her, and the boys +followed him up the walk into "Seven Oaks"--and bed. + + + + +THIRD EVENING + + UNCLE HENRY'S MAGIC TURNS THE LYRE INTO A UKELELE--AND THE + ARCHER'S ARROW MISSES THE LOVELY SWAN AND HITS THE HORRID + SCORPION + + +Betty had been informed by her brothers that Uncle Henry had promised, +after she fell asleep, to show the lyre that the star ladies play when +they have nothing else to do. + +Since she had a new ukelele herself, and was learning to play it, her +interest in all stringed instruments was keen, and as soon as the +Society of Star-Gazers had come together on the beach the next evening, +she demanded that the lyre be found. + +"All right," said Uncle Henry, "find the swan's wing, on the side of +him toward the dragon. Get that? Well then, look for a very bright star +between that wing and the swan's neck, and about the length of the +swan's neck away from the tip of the wing. You can't miss it, for it's +the brightest star anywhere near. Its name is _Vega_, and some one has +called it 'the arc-light of the sky.'" (6) + +"I see it!" cried Betty and the boys together. + +"Look for two smaller stars that make a triangle with _Vega_, and then +for three more that make a long diamond shape. That's right, Peter, put +down the pebbles and finish the lyre." + +[Illustration] + +"It's sort of a harp on a foot!" said Betty in disappointment. "I want +to make a ukelele of it." + +"Sure, easy as breathing," agreed Uncle Henry, and promptly rubbed out +_Lyra_ from the sand, and made it over. + +After all, Betty was the baby and might have her own way whenever Uncle +Henry had anything to say about it. And let no one say that the ancients +had all the imagination, after seeing the ukelele that Uncle Henry made +of _Lyra_. + +[Illustration] + +"We strive to please," he said as it was finished, and Betty clapped her +hands. + +"Now we want to see the archer shoot the giant scorpion!" demanded Paul, +speaking for the masculine part of the audience. + +"Just a minute," said Uncle Henry, "I'm coming to him. You can see one +of his arrows if you look on the other side of the swan's neck, just +opposite to Betty's ukelele. The archer shot at the swan and missed it." + +"Serves him right for trying to kill the beautiful swan. I love 'em!'" +said Betty, with feeling. + +"You'll need to use very small pebbles," warned Uncle Henry, "for +_Sagitta_ is rather small and quite faint." + +"What's _Sagitta_?" asked Peter. + +"Latin for 'arrow,'" said Uncle Henry. + +When the arrow was found and drawn, it was in this position. + +[Illustration] + +"Now the archer!" demanded Paul. + +"All right," said Uncle Henry. "Paul, draw a line straight out from the +head of the swan, right on in the direction he is flying, and go about +twice the length of the swan's neck." (7) + +Paul did. + +"Now tell me," asked Uncle Henry, "does anybody see anything, about +there, that looks like a bow and arrow?" + +The children searched the sky at a point a little over two swan's necks +ahead of the swan's bill, and Peter cried triumphantly, + +[Illustration] + +"I see it! I see it!" + +"Make it then," said Uncle Henry, "and keep the bow in the right +position to the swan's neck." + +When Peter had all the pebbles in their right positions, Uncle Henry +drew in the archer's body, and bow and arrow, and they looked like this: + +"He's just getting ready to shoot at the scorpion!" exclaimed Paul. + +"Yes," said Uncle Henry, "and the other star people have to look out +too. The people who lived long ago called _Sagittarius_, our archer, +"the Bull Killer." They did this because when the stars of the archer +rise in the east, they seem to drive all the stars of _Taurus_, +the Bull, over the western edge of the world. So they said that +_Sagittarius_ killed off the Bull. We'll find _Taurus_ next winter." + +"Now let's find the scorpion," urged Peter. + +"Wait a minute!" begged Betty, "I see another dipper." + +Peter was impatient. Dippers were not interesting, compared with giant +scorpions. + +"Betty," he remarked, "wouldn't believe there _was_ a little dipper a +few nights ago, and now she's seeing 'em everywhere." + +But Betty had her way as usual, and the Society of Star-Gazers paused +before passing on to the scorpion. + +"Where do you see the new dipper, Betty?" Uncle Henry inquired with +interest. + +"It's right back of the leg the archer is kneeling on." (8) + +"You're quite right," Uncle Henry agreed, "and it's called 'the milk +dipper,' because it's right on the edge of the milky way." + +"Why that's the bowl _Ursa Major_ tried to get _BoAtes'_ hot milk out +of, and burned his mouth, and upset!" explained Betty, with a sudden +inspiration. + +"So it is," agreed Uncle Henry, "although I must confess I never +thought of the milk dipper when I made up that rhyme for you +youngsters." + +"Now the scorpion!" insisted Peter. + +"Oh, have your old scorpion, then, Mr. Peter!" exploded Betty, "I don't +want to see the horrid thing. I'm going to the cottage and show Katy the +milk dipper." + +And she went. + +So it was with Peter and Paul alone that Uncle Henry found the scorpion +that _Sagittarius_, the archer, is always aiming at. (9) It would have +been easy for Betty to find, for it really looks a good deal like a +scorpion. See if you don't think so when you've found it. + +[Illustration] + +After Uncle Henry had shown the boys how the big, red star, called +_Antares_, in the heart of the scorpion, has a reddish color, Peter +suggested that it was probably red because the Archer had already shot +an arrow through the scorpion's heart, and made it bleed. + +After that, since neither the boys nor Uncle Henry ever wanted Betty +left out of anything, and since they knew she would have stayed if Peter +and she hadn't wanted different things at the same time, the Society of +Star-Gazers adjourned until the next evening. + +On the porch, however, Uncle Henry made up this poem and repeated it to +Peter and Paul before they went in to bed. + + "The Scorpion's heart has bled, + Antares-star is red, + The Archer made an arrow-wound, + But Scorpio isn't dead. + + The Archer draws his strong-bow, + To shoot a sharp new arrow, + I hope he hits the Scorpion, + And kills the poisonous fellow." + + + + +FOURTH EVENING + + THE VIRGIN IS TOO BUSY FEEDING HER SKY POULTRY, SO CASSIOPEIA + GETS THE UKELELE TO PLAY + + +Betty, in spite of her pretended lack of curiosity about the scorpion, +was down on the beach the next evening ahead of the other members of the +Society of Star-Gazers. Uncle Henry found her in the twilight, sitting +cross-legged before the sand-drawing of _Scorpio_. + +As she searched the southern sky to find the constellation, she was +singing Uncle Henry's verses about the archer and _Scorpio_ over and +over, to a tune of her own improvising. + +The boys had made bows and arrows from green saplings during the morning +and had raced about for some time with "Rags," in search of giant +scorpions to shoot at. They discovered them in the most unexpected +objects--trees, rocks, and even boats. The hunt had been accompanied by +a war chant, with the scorpion verses for words. It was a faint echo of +this that Betty was crooning to herself now. + +As Uncle Henry approached her she looked up at him and said, + +"Aren't there any ladies among the star people, Uncle Henry? You told +about the lyre that they play on, but you haven't shown any of them to +us." + +"Well, Betty," said Uncle Henry, sitting down beside her, "there are +several ladies in our star country, but only two of them are in our +sight in the summer time. Let's get the boys and we'll find both the +ladies and take a vote to decide which of them shall have your +lyre-ukelele to play on." + +Betty called, in her high little voice, for Peter and Paul to hurry, and +they raced down from the porch with "Rags" in tow. + +"Uncle Hen," asked Peter, "'Rags' wants to know if there aren't any more +dogs in the sky?" "Sure," said Uncle Henry, "sky folks are very fond of +dogs. We've found the two that belong to the herdsman. Besides them, +there are two others, but we can't see them 'til next winter. And, of +course, there's _Cerberus_, the ugly, monstrous three-headed dog that +Hercules killed. We'll find him to-night." + +"Oh, that's great!" said Peter, and he and Paul settled down with "Rags" +between them. "Rags" looked expectantly at Uncle Henry, who said, + +"But first I've promised Betty to find the sky ladies that we can see +now, and let one of them have the ukelele." + +"Rags'" ears dropped and he lost interest. Peter and Paul, however, +remembering Betty's temper of the previous evening, said, + +"Of course, ladies first." + +"All right," said Uncle Henry, "everybody find _Arcturus_ in the hem of +_BoAtes'_ kilt. Get that? Well, then, draw a line in the sand, Betty, +from _BoAtes'_ right shoulder through _Arcturus_, and extend the line +about as far again. (10) Then look in the sky at that point for a bright +star." + +"I see it!" cried Betty. The boys picked it out next moment. + +"Well," said Uncle Henry, "it doesn't look much like an ear of corn, +does it? That's what it is, though; an ear of corn held in the Virgin's +left hand. Its name, _Spica_, means just that. The Virgin is scattering +grains from the ear of corn with her right hand, to attract the birds of +Starland--the swan, the eagle, and the dove. We'll find the eagle a +little later on, but the dove is so far south that we never see it well. +The boys and girls in South America see Noah's dove, but we can't." + +"Now," continued Uncle Henry, "follow along northward from _Spica_ to +a point just below the big lion's tail. There is the Virgin's head. +Between it and _Spica_ are two fairly bright stars. The one nearest +_Spica_ is the Virgin's shoulder. Her left arm hangs at her side, from +the shoulder to _Spica_, while her right arm extends in the direction of +the great bear's tail. Put down the pebbles as fast as you find the +stars, Betty." + +[Illustration] + +When Betty and Uncle Henry had finished the Virgin, or _Virgo_, as she +is called in Latin, she looked like this: + +Then Uncle Henry added the little half circle of small pebbles, with one +larger one near the centre, shown in the picture just at the left of +BoAtes. (11) + +"What is that, Uncle Henry?" asked all the children at once. + +"Do you see it in the sky?" he asked, + +The children quickly found it. + +"What does it look like, then?" + +Peter thought it was a handful of corn-grains from _Virgo's_ hand. + +Betty said, "A necklace." + +"That's nearest right," said Uncle Henry. "It is called _Corona +Borealis_, or the Northern Crown. That brightest star is named _Gemma_, +so you see it might be a gem in a necklace, too. The Virgin looks as if +she was going to bend over and pick it up. Perhaps she will some day." + +"I think," said Paul, "that she's too busy a person to give Betty's +ukelele to. Who's the other lady?" + +"I quite agree with you," said Uncle Henry. "The Virgin seems very +much occupied. Well, there is another lady in Starland. Her name is +_Cassiopeia_, and since she has nothing to do but sit in a chair, +perhaps Betty will let _Cassiopeia_ have the ukelele to play. _Virgo_ +won't be jealous, either, because she is clear across the sky from +_Cassiopeia_; too far away to see. A long line drawn across the sky from +_Spica_ through the pole star in the little bear's tail-tip will reach +_Cassiopeia_. (12) + +"She is easy to find, because she looks just like a big letter W. Does +anybody see it?" + +The trio all found the W very quickly. You will, too, for it is very +conspicuous in the northeastern sky in July and August. Uncle Henry +showed the children that _Cassiopeia's_ W had to be turned upside down, +into an M, before she could be made to sit in her chair properly. + +Here is how _Cassiopeia_ looked: + +[Illustration] + +"She hasn't a blessed thing to do. We'll give the lyre to her," said +Betty. + +"I am glad to hear that you are going to give the ukelele to +_Cassiopeia_," said Uncle Henry. "Perhaps it will make her feel +happier. She has had a rather sad life. Long ago _Cassiopeia_ was +queen of _Athiopia_, and was very beautiful. But she was so proud of +her good looks that she boasted herself prettier than the lovely +sea-nymphs. This made Neptune, the god of the sea, so angry that he +sent one of his worst sea-monsters to make trouble along the shore of +_Cassiopeia's_ country. + +"And as if that wasn't bad enough, Neptune demanded _Cassiopeia's_ +daughter _Andromeda_ as a sacrifice. + +"So you see it seems good to see _Cassiopeia_ getting a little justice +done her, if it's only the present of a ukelele." + +"Teacher says," piped up Betty, "that the lady's statue on top of the +Court House is '_Justice_.' What does she have that little pair of +scales in her hand for, Uncle Henry?" + +"The scales are to help her in weighing the good and bad that people +do," explained Uncle Henry, "and speaking of scales, there's a pair of +them in the sky, too. If you will look between the _Scorpio_ and the +Virgin you will find the scales. (13) They are called _Libra_, which is +Latin for 'balance.' There are four main stars in _Libra_, which make an +oblong." + +This is how _Libra_, the balance, looked when the children and Uncle +Henry had finished drawing it: + +[Illustration] + +"Now," said Peter, with an air of having shown great patience, "we want +to see that three-headed dog. I forgot his name." + +"_Cerberus_," said Uncle Henry, "But in order to find him we'll have to +find _Hercules_, the great strong man, for _Hercules_ has _Cerberus_ +fast by one of his throats and is beating at his three ugly heads with a +big club. At the same time, _Hercules_ has his left foot on the dragon's +head, so you see he is kept busy." + +"Where do we begin?" asked Paul, impatiently. + +"Draw a line," said Uncle Henry, "from _Vega_ in the ukelele to _Gemma_ +in the _Northern Crown_; the Virgin's necklace we found a while ago, you +know." + +Paul did it. (14) + +"Now," directed Uncle Henry, "look about half-way between, and you'll +find _Hercules'_ legs. His left leg is nearly straight, but his right +has the knee bent a little. _Hercules'_ legs and the sides of his body +and his belt make sort of an H shape." + +"Oh, I see it!" exclaimed Peter. "Shall I make him, Uncle Hen?" + +"Sure, go ahead, Pete; and the rest of you watch for _Hercules'_ head +and arms." + +When the children had put down pebbles to represent all the stars in +_Hercules_, and had connected them with lines in the sand, _Hercules_ +looked like this: + +[Illustration] + +"Oh," broke out Betty, excitedly, "he's got the ugly dog in his left +hand!" + +Then she added the three heads of _Cerberus_, and it was Uncle Henry's +turn to draw in the outline of _Hercules_, and complete the picture, +like this: + +[Illustration] + +"You have probably read," said Uncle Henry, "about the twelve great +labors _Hercules_ performed. He had to be very strong to do them, but of +course he was born that way. They say he even rose up out of his cradle +and strangled two serpents that the goddess _Juno_ sent to destroy him." + +The Society of Star-Gazers became very enthusiastic about _Hercules_ +after he was all finished. So will you when you see how big and strong +and beautiful he is, almost straight over your head in the summer sky +just after dark. You will enjoy him more if you lie on your back to +look, as the Society of Star-Gazers did on the beach. + +While they were all flat on the sand, looking up into the great +blue-black, star-sprinkled bowl, Uncle Henry made up this poem, and +recited it before the Society adjourned for the night: + + "Hercules the strong man-- + Feel his muscle! + Feel his muscle! + + Hercules the strong man-- + See him tussle! + See him tussle! + + Right hand holds a club-- + I can see; + I can see. + + Left hand grips a throat-- + One of three; + One of three. + + Three-head dogs are freaks-- + Queer to us; + Queer to us. + + That's because you never saw-- + Cerberus; + Cerberus. + + + + +FIFTH EVENING + + IN WHICH A DOLPHIN WITH AN EAR FOR MUSIC SAVES A POET'S + LIFE--AND UNCLE HENRY PUTS TWO BIRDS IN ONE POEM + + +During the next day Peter and Paul had seen a blue-racer in the grass, +and, with Rags' assistance, had chased it off into the woods behind the +cottage. + +So it was only natural for Peter to ask Uncle Henry whether there were +any snakes among the star creatures. + +Uncle Henry had said, "Two," and promised to show the children a very +big one, and an old man having a struggle with it besides. + +Peter and Paul were expectantly waiting on the sand when Uncle Henry and +Betty came down from the porch that evening after dark. + +"Now," said Peter, "where's the snake, Uncle Hen?" + +"We'll begin with his head," said Uncle Henry. "Everybody find the +northern crown, or _Virgo's_ necklace, and _Hercules'_ club. Now look +just between them and you will see five stars in a sort of little cross, +quite close together. Get that?" (15) + +The children soon found all five and put down little stones to represent +them on the sand. + +"All right, then; now trace a line from star to star, down toward +_Scorpio_, and then across toward the archer, and then up in the +direction of the swan. That line is the _Serpent_. It is writhing in the +hands of _Ophiuchus_, the old man who is called 'The Serpent-bearer.' +His head and _Hercules'_ head are only a little way apart. Look for a +bright star just east of the bright one in the head of _Hercules_ and +you will have the head of _Ophiuchus_. Then look where his shoulders +would naturally come and you will see two stars close together in each +shoulder. Find them?" + +The children did, and placed pebbles for the head and shoulders of +_Ophiuchus_. + +"Now," said Uncle Henry, "draw two long lines down from the shoulders, +through the Serpent and beyond, and you will have the old man's body, +legs and feet. One foot is just in front of the archer's bow; the other +is just above the red heart of _Scorpio_. You will have to imagine his +arms, and his hands holding the serpent while it squirms." + +When all the pebbles were down and all the lines were drawn, _Ophiuchus_ +and the serpent, or _Serpens_ in Latin, looked like this: + +[Illustration] + +"Are there any more snakes, Uncle Hen?" inquired Paul expectantly. + +"Yes, a sea-serpent made of very faint stars," said Uncle Henry, "but he +is rather hard to trace out and the only other creature I have left now +that is anything like a snake is a dolphin, or porpoise, and he isn't +much like one. We'll find him, anyway, and then if you prefer to make a +sea-horse out of the dolphin, or _Delphinus_, as you would say in Latin, +why go ahead and do it. The animals in Starland are very obliging. They +will turn into anything you like to see in them." + +"Where is the dolphin, Uncle Henry?" asked Betty. + +"Well," said he, "draw a line through the beak of the swan and the +arrow, or _Sagitta_, and it will strike _Delphinus_. (16) The arrow is +about halfway between the swan and the dolphin. See it?" + +The children soon found the dolphin and mapped his skeleton with +pebbles. Then Uncle Henry put it to a vote of the Society of Star-Gazers +whether _Delphinus_ should be finished up as a dolphin or a sea-horse. +The vote was two to one for the sea-horse. + +Uncle Henry drew a sigh of relief; he didn't know quite what a dolphin +looked like, and he had seen a picture of a sea-horse in the dictionary +only the day before. So _Delphinus_ turned out to look like this. If you +insist on having him a dolphin, why draw him differently yourself: + +[Illustration] + +"I wonder," said Betty thoughtfully, "who rides the sea-horses. Do the +mermaids, Uncle Henry?" + +"I don't know about the mermaids," he answered, "but I do know that an +ancient poet and musician, named _Arion_, was saved from drowning by +riding to shore on a dolphin. It was like this: + +"Arion had gone from his home on the island of Lesbos to Italy, and +while there had made a great deal of money by his singing." + +"Just like Caruso in New York," exclaimed Paul. + +"Yes," said Uncle Henry, "and also like Caruso, _Arion_ decided to go +home for a visit. Well, on the way to Lesbos the sailors decided to +murder _Arion_ and get all the money he was taking home with him. He had +gone on a regular pirate ship you see. The pirates were all ready to +kill _Arion_, but he begged so hard to play just one little melody on +his lute before he died that the pirate sailors said, 'Yes, he might +play just one.' You would hardly believe it, but the melody that _Arion_ +played was so catchy and tuneful that it attracted a number of dolphins, +who began to dance and turn somersaults about the ship. Then _Arion_ +watched his chance--and jumped over-board--and one of the friendly, +music-loving dolphins carried him back to Lesbos on his back." + +"My, but I'm glad he got away from those awful pirates!" cried Betty +with heartfelt fervor. + +"It's too bad the horrid sailors got his money after all," said Peter. +"If they hadn't he might have got something nice for the dolphin to eat +when he got to that place where he lived." + +"The dolphin fared better than that," Uncle Henry assured the children. +"It pleased the sea god _Neptune_ so much to have one of his creatures +save a poet's life that he had that dolphin put in the sky among the +stars, and we see him there now as the constellation _Delphinus_." + +"What's next?" demanded Peter when the story of _Delphinus_ was +finished. + +"The next three," said Uncle Henry, shaking his head sadly, "are the +last." + +"The last?!!" chorused the Society of Star-Gazers incredulously. + +"Well, maybe not absolutely the last," admitted Uncle Henry, "but the +last for this Summer. There is a whole dozen more of the Star People in +our northern sky, but we can't see them until next Winter." + +"Why?" inquired Betty anxiously. + +"It's a long story," said Uncle Henry. "Sometime I'll tell you all of +it, beginning with the fact that the pole of the earth always points to +the north star, where the little bear's tail is fastened, you remember. +I promise to show you all the rest of the star animals and people when I +come home for my Christmas vacation. Will that do, if I show you a +wonderful eagle to-night--and a sea goat and a water carrier to finish +up with?" + +The children were disappointed, but they trusted Uncle Henry. He +wouldn't stop showing animals and people until he had to; they all knew +that. + +Peter said, + +"We'll have a whole dozen to look forward to next Christmas. Sort of a +present from Uncle Henry. Come on, Uncle Hen, let's find the eagle and +the sea goat and water carrier!" + +The others agreed with Peter. + +"The eagle, or _Aquila_," said Uncle Henry, "is easy to find because of +a very bright star, called _Altair_, which is right in his neck. You +will find it near the arrow, or _Sagitta_, between the end of the +serpent's tail and _Delphinus_. (17) Does anybody see _Altair_?" + +"I do," said Betty, "it's right between two other stars that aren't so +bright." + +"Right," said Uncle Henry. "Put down pebbles to represent all three, +Betty, and we'll find the rest of the eagle, or _Aquila_, as it would be +in Latin." + +When the three pebbles were in place they stood in this relation to +_Sagitta_ and _Delphinus_: + +[Illustration] + +"Now," said Uncle Henry, "draw a line downward through the three stars +and a little more than twice as far again and what do you see?" + +"Another star," said Paul. + +"Put it in," said Uncle Henry, "and then draw another line from the +upper of the first three stars in the direction of the handle of the +'milk dipper' in _Sagittarius_, the archer. Continue this about four +times the length of the line that joins the first three stars together +and you will find two fairly bright stars close together. That's right, +Paul; put in the star you find about halfway down the line, too. Now +draw a line from the two fairly bright stars back in the direction of +the tail of the sea-horse, or _Delphinus_, until it almost meets the +first line you drew. There you will find another fairly bright star. Now +it is easy to finish the eagle's skeleton." + +[Illustration] + +When the eagle's skeleton was finished Peter thought it looked more like +a big arrowhead than an eagle, but when Uncle Henry had drawn the +outline of _Aquila_, the Society of Star-Gazers admitted the resemblance +to the bird. + +"Now where's that sea goat?" inquired Peter. + +"Follow the line of the first three stars we found in _Aquila_ downward, +and just a little way beyond where it ends in the tip of the eagle's +wing you will see two rather faint stars, close together. (18) They are +at one corner of a 'cocked hat' such as you make out of newspaper when +you play soldier--sort of a Napoleon's hat. It is upside down. When you +find it and put down pebbles for stars I'll show you how the good +imaginations the ancient people had turned the cocked hat into a sea +goat." + +This shows how _Capricornus_ the sea goat looked when the children and +Uncle Henry had finished him. I leave it to you to decide whether or not +he looks more like a cocked hat. + +[Illustration] + +"When we have found _Capricornus_ the sea goat," said Uncle Henry, "it +is easy to find _Aquarius_ or the water carrier. Just prolong the line +that connects the goat's right foot with his tail until it runs close to +a little triangle of three stars with another in the centre. (19) It +looks a little like the head of the Serpent we found squirming in +_Ophiuchus'_ hands, but it is the water-jar _Aquarius_ is carrying." + +"Oh, I see it," cried Paul. + +The other stars in _Aquarius_ were soon found and represented +by pebbles. Then Uncle Henry drew the outline that finished the +Water-Carrier, like this: + +[Illustration] + +"Now we're all through?" inquired Betty. + +"Until next Christmas," smiled back Uncle Henry. + +"Can't we have just one more poem?" teased Paul. + +"What shall it be about?" asked Uncle Henry, with the air of a man who +could write a poem to order on any subject. + +"One about the lovely swan," commanded Betty, "you haven't made one up +about the swan." + +Uncle Henry was in a quandary; he wanted to please everybody with the +last poem. He lay down on his back and looked up at the sky for so long +that the children thought he must have fallen asleep. Finally Uncle +Henry began to recite, + + "The eagle of Starland + Got tired of his tree, + And challenged the swan to a race. + + 'Come up from the water! + Fly up and be free! + To northward I'll beat you a chase.' + + The swan thought of shivers + And icebergs and frost-- + He made up his mind to race South. + + So they are still flying-- + Their race can't be lost-- + Till Gabriel blows with his mouth." + +"What'll Gabriel blow?" inquired Peter when the hand-clapping had +stopped. + +"His trumpet, of course, silly!" answered Betty for Uncle Henry. + +Just then the children heard a toot from an automobile horn that they +all recognized, and the Society of Star-Gazers raced with Uncle Henry +back up to "Seven Oaks Cottage." + +"Sister" and "the Children's Father" had come back from their trip and +had surprised everybody. + +The summer sessions of the Society were over. + + + + +FIRST WINTER EVENING + + THE "SOCIETY" LEARNS WHY ORION NEEDS A CLUB TO KEEP FRISKY + TAURUS IN ORDER--AND WHY WE SAY "BY JIMINI!" WHEN WE GET + EXCITED + + +Uncle Henry came, as he had promised, to spend his Christmas holidays +with "Sister," "the Children's Father," Peter, Paul and Betty, in their +city apartment. + +The children's hope for fair weather in Christmas week was not +disappointed either. The days were snowy and sunny and the nights frosty +and clear. + +Only one thing had worried the "Society of Star-Gazers"--what was to +take the place of the smooth sand of the beach when Uncle Henry should +begin to point out the sky people that were visible in the winter sky? +There were pebbles, it was true, on the flat roof of the apartment +house, but there was no sand. + +The children were certain, however, that Uncle Henry would find a way, +as he always did, and sure enough, when he arrived he brought, as one of +his Christmas gifts to the children, a wonderful blackboard, an easel to +stand it upon, and plenty of white chalk. + +After dinner on the first night of Uncle Henry's visit, the Society of +Star-Gazers was bundled up in warm coats and mufflers and he led the +way to the roof, carrying the blackboard and his pocket electric +flashlight. + +Far above the lights of the city arched the great, blue-black bowl of +the sky, filled with the sparkling patterns of stars that the children +had learned to know as steadfast, unchanging friends. + +"Uncle Henry," said Betty, "you've told us about enough animals to +really fill a Noah's ark, but we've never heard anything about Noah +himself. Isn't there any Mr. Noah in the sky?" + +"Well, Betty," said Uncle Henry, "There isn't any constellation that's +named for Noah, but he was a great hunter, and since there is a great +hunter in the sky, we can call him Noah if we want to, even if his last +name is _Orion_." + +"Noah O'Ryan!" laughed Paul. "I know a boy named Michael O'Ryan." + +"It's not the same spelling," said Uncle Henry, as he turned the +flashlight on the blackboard while he wrote the word upon it, and +underneath, made three large chalk dots, like this: + +[Illustration] + +"Find those three stars," said Uncle Henry, "and you will have the _belt +of Orion_. It ought not to be hard to find them, for there are no other +stars like them anywhere in the whole sky. Those three stars have +always attracted a lot of attention from people in all times and +countries. In the Bible Job calls them 'the bands of Orion'; the Arabs +called them 'the Golden Nuts'; the fierce Masai Tribe in Africa call +them 'the three old men'; the ancient Chinese named Orion 'Tsan,' which +means 'three'; and to the Eskimos these three stars appear to be the +three steps that a Starland Eskimo cuts in a snowbank when he wants to +climb to the top of it." + +The children soon found _Orion's_ belt about a third of the way up the +southeastern sky. + +"Now," said Uncle Henry, "see who can find his shoulders first. Here is +a piece of chalk for each of you. Put the shoulders in as soon as you +see them." + +[Illustration] + +Paul found _Orion's_ right shoulder, and Betty his left, and made large +chalk dots to show how bright and beautiful the stars that mark the +shoulders are. + +"Oh, I see his feet!" exclaimed Betty delightedly. + +"Put them in then," said Uncle Henry. + +Then _Orion_ looked like this on the blackboard: + +"I'll tell you this much more," said Uncle Henry, "and then you must +finish _Orion_ by yourselves. He has a great club, raised, ready to +strike, in his right hand, and he holds a lion's skin on his left arm, +as a shield." + +"What's he going to hit at?" inquired Peter, with his boy's joy in +battle uppermost. + +"At _Taurus_, the wild bull," said Uncle Henry. "You can see that +_Taurus_ is very fierce, and would enjoy nothing better than to chase +the twin star boys round and round the sky. He might not really want to +hurt the boys, whose names are _Castor_ and _Pollux_, but _Taurus'_ +horns are very sharp and he doesn't know how to play gently, so it keeps +_Orion_ pretty busy getting between him and _Gemini_ and threatening the +bull with his club." + +"What's 'jimini,' Uncle Hen?" said Paul. "Sounds like our swear word." + +"It _is_ the origin of it," said Uncle Henry. "The ancient Romans used +to swear 'by _Gemini_,' and it has slowly been changed into your +'jimini.' _Gemini_ is the Latin word that means 'twins.' We'll find them +after we finish up _Orion_ and _Taurus_, and then you'll see just how +_Orion_ keeps protecting them from the bull." + +"Hurry up, Uncle Hen!" urged Peter. "I'm dreadful excited!" + +Uncle Henry did, and as a result _Orion_ looked like this: + +[Illustration] + +"Ooh! he's got a sword, too!" cried Paul, as Uncle Henry added the three +tiny stars below _Orion's_ belt, and drew the outline around them. + +"Why didn't he use the sword on _Taurus_?" asked Peter. + +"Because he knew _Taurus_ was only playing in his rough way," Uncle +Henry replied. + +"Well, we've heard a lot about that bull," said Betty. "Let's find him +right away." + +Uncle Henry said nothing, but took the chalk from Betty and drew a light +line from _Orion's_ right foot to his left shoulder, and continued it +upward about the same distance. (20) + +"There," he said, "that point is just between the bull's horns and over +his right eye. The right eye of _Taurus_ is a very bright star called +_Aldebaran_. Anybody see it?" + +"Oh, I do!" said Paul. "What, hasn't _Taurus_ any left eye, Uncle Hen?" + +"He has," said Uncle Henry, "but he has it closed just now. He's winking +it at _Orion_ as much as to say, 'Oh, I act fierce, but I wouldn't hurt +those twins after all. I'm just playing.' Go ahead and put in the stars +for the bull's head and horns as fast as you find them, youngsters." + +The children did, and when Uncle Henry had showed them the fore legs and +shoulder, which contains the beautiful little group of faint stars +called the _Pleiades_, _Taurus_ looked like this: + +[Illustration] + +"Now we want the twins!" cried Betty. + +"All right," said Uncle Henry, "follow a line straight up the bull's +left horn and a little more than the length of the horn beyond its tip +and you will reach _Castor_, the head of the fainter twin." (21) + +Peter and Paul began to show great interest, because they were twins +themselves. They demanded that each be allowed to select one of the sky +children and finish him completely, without Uncle Henry's assistance. + +[Illustration] + +Paul, having first choice because he was twenty minutes younger than +Peter, selected _Pollux_, and Peter had to be contented with the less +bright _Castor_. + +It was not a difficult task for either of the boys, after finding the +twin star _Castor_, for the head of _Pollux_ is quite close beside it +and the bodies of both star children stand side by side, with the feet +just above _Orion's_ uplifted club. + +When _Gemini_, the twins, were finished, the blackboard looked like +this, and since the children's fingers were so stiff with the cold that +they could hardly hold the chalk, Uncle Henry moved that the Society of +Star-Gazers adjourn until the next evening. + + + + +SECOND WINTER EVENING + + IN WHICH THE DOGS OF ORION AND GEMINI FOLLOW THEIR MASTERS, + PEGASUS ESCAPES AS USUAL, AND ANDROMEDA GETS A NICE SOFT BED + OF HAY IN PLACE OF HER HARD OLD ROCK + + +"Uncle Hen," said Peter, when the Society was assembled round the +blackboard, in overcoats and mittens, on the following night, "what is +that very bright star that is down behind _Orion_? It looks sort of +important to me." + +"Right you are, Pete," answered Uncle Henry, looking where the boy +pointed, "it _is_ important. It is the star _Sirius_, the brightest star +in the whole sky. We'll begin with it and find _Orion's_ dog, or _Canis +Major_, which is Latin for 'bigger dog.'" + +"That's great!" exclaimed Paul, "you told us last Summer that we'd find +him this Christmas-time." + +"So I did," agreed Uncle Henry. "Well, you can always find _Orion's_ dog +by drawing a line through _Orion's_ belt and extending it behind him +until it meets _Sirius_. (22) You can't miss it because it's so bright. +Everybody see it?" + +Everybody did. + +"Now," went on Uncle Henry, "extend the line that came from _Orion's_ +belt, curving it slightly downward after it passes through _Sirius_, and +you will have the dog's backbone. Put in the chalk dots as we find the +stars, Pete. Now draw lines upward and downward from _Sirius_, at right +angles to the backbone line and you will have the dog's forelegs and +ears. At a point on the backbone about twice the length of the foreleg +from _Sirius_, you will find another fairly bright star, and below it a +little way another star. Connect these two and keep on with the line, at +right angles to the backbone, and you will find one hind foot. The other +is not far in front of it. Yes, that's right, Betty, there's a star in +the tip of his tail, too. And the three stars near _Sirius_ make _Canis +Major's_ nose." + +The children soon finished the skeleton and Uncle Henry took the chalk +and put the flesh upon it. Then the dog of _Orion_ looked like this: + +[Illustration] + +"He's a faithful old fellow, isn't he?" said Betty, "to always follow +Mr. _Orion_ around like that?" + +"I'm not always sure," said Uncle Henry, "whether the dog of _Orion_ +would always be so faithful if it wasn't for the rabbit that is always +just ahead of him, almost under _Orion's_ feet." + +"Oh, show us the rabbit!" cried Betty. Her father had promised her that +when they all went to live in a house in the country, she should have a +pair of them for her very own. + +"All right, Betty," said Uncle Henry. "You can find _Lepus_, the rabbit, +yourself. The three rather faint stars just below _Orion's_ right foot +make the curve of his back. Join them together with a curved line and +extend it forward and downward until it passes through two brighter +stars. The lowest of these is in the fore-shoulder of the rabbit. Now +draw lines backward from both of these brighter stars, at about right +angles to the line that joins them, and you will find the rabbit's hind +hip and hind foot. He is lying down for a moment to rest. You see he's +been galloping away from _Canis Major_ for such a long time that he is +tired." + +"Poor little rabbit!" cried Betty, and her little face looked so pitiful +in the light of the electric torch that Uncle Henry hastened to reassure +her by saying that the big dog had never yet caught the rabbit, and by +the very nature of things never could. Then she took heart to go on +putting in the stars. + +"Now," said Uncle Henry, "you can find the star in the rabbit's eye by +drawing a line forward from the upper one of the brighter stars, and the +star in his fore-foot by drawing another forward and downward from his +fore-shoulder. That finishes his skeleton, all except his ears. They +are made by finding four faint stars just under _Orion's_ left foot, and +using two of them in each ear." + +"Now can I draw his outline in, too?" asked Betty. "I want to make every +bit of him myself." + +"Of course you can!" exclaimed Uncle Henry indulgently. + +"You've got to let me make all of the horse, then, when we come to him!" +exclaimed Peter. + +"In just a little while, Pete," said Uncle Henry, "we're making the +rabbit now." + +"All right," agreed Peter. + +Betty had looked longingly at rabbits in pet stores so often that she +really did very well at drawing the outline of the sky-rabbit. + +We leave it to you to better it. You can't--unless you love rabbits more +than she did. + +[Illustration] + +Betty's brothers were quite astonished, and pleased the little girl +immensely by clapping their hands when the rabbit was finished. + +"Now let me do the horse!" demanded Peter. + +"What'll be left for me to do?" inquired Paul wistfully, "if you let +Pete do the horse?" + +"That'll be all right, Paul," reassured Uncle Henry, "the sky horse is +very large, but we'll give you two smaller animals to do yourself to +make up for him--_Aries_, the ram, and _Canis Minor_, the smaller dog." + +"Fine," agreed Paul. "I know all 'bout rams." + +The children laughed gleefully. Paul had been butted over once by a ram +when they were on a summer visit to their grandfather's farm. + +"Well, Pete," said Uncle Henry briskly, "you'll find _Pegasus_, the +horse, grazing clear on the other side of the star field. Somebody built +a box stall for him over there, but he's so big and strong that he +doesn't stay in it except when he feels like it. He's all the time +leaping the fence and escaping. When you find him, you'll see that he's +doing that very thing now. In fact, you'll catch him right in the act!" + +"Oh, let's hurry then!" said Peter, "he might be out before we see him +do it!" + +"Everybody find the big dipper," directed Uncle Henry. "You remember how +we found the pole star in the tip of the little bear's tail by drawing a +line up through the 'pointer stars' of the dipper's bowl, on the side +away from the handle? Well, do that again now, and follow the line +through the pole star, passing behind _Cassiopeia_ in her chair, and +continuing until your line passes through two fairly bright stars quite +a distance apart. (23) A line connecting these stars marks the top edge +of _Pegasus'_ box stall, which is called 'the square of _Pegasus_.'" + +"_Cassiopeia_ is about halfway between the pole star and _Pegasus_. A +line drawn from the pole star through the back of _Cassiopeia's_ chair +will reach the two stars that form the lower corners of _Pegasus'_ box +stall." (24) + +"Oh, I see the square now," said Peter. + +"Me, too," said Paul. + +"It's very big, isn't it?" said Betty. + +"Yes," agreed Uncle Henry, "and _Pegasus_ is big, too. He is upside down +just now, with his head just above the western horizon. His nose points +northward toward _Delphinus_ and his neck curves up from the side of the +box stall that's away from the pole star. His fore feet curve up from +the side of the square that is toward the pole star, and both feet point +toward the swan." + +"I see him now," cried Peter, and began putting in the chalk dots and +lines for the framework of the box stall and the skeleton of _Pegasus'_ +head and forelegs, which are all of him that can be seen. As Uncle Henry +said, _Pegasus_ is just in the act of jumping out of his stall. + +When Peter had finished drawing _Pegasus_, the horse of poets looked +like this. Uncle Henry put in the arrows pointing from the pole star, +and the skeletons of _Delphinus_ and the swan. + +[Illustration] + +"It seems to me," observed Paul sagely, "that _Pegasus'_ box stall is a +lot too small for him." + +"That's why he is all the time jumping out and running away," explained +Uncle Henry. "I told you that we should catch him in the act. He's +always at it." + +"Pete's had his turn; now I want to find the ram and the little dog," +said Paul. + +"If you'll wait just a little longer," said Uncle Henry, "I'd like to +show Betty the last of the sky ladies, because she's right close to +_Pegasus_." + +Paul's face fell a little, but he said, "Ladies first, of course," as +any gentleman would. + +"I said she was a lady," said Uncle Henry, "but I'm not so sure that she +is acting like one. In fact, she is in an attitude that few ladies would +like to be seen in, at least not in the plain view of everybody who +looks at the sky." + +"What's she doing, Uncle Henry?" inquired Betty, in a tone that said, "I +guess it can't be anything so _very_ bad." + +Betty was herself fond of climbing trees, in spite of motherly +disapproval of such tomboy activities. + +"She's lying flat on her back, with her arms and legs sprawled out and +her head resting against the corner of _Pegasus'_ box stall. I should +think it might be very uncomfortable for her, unless she is lying on a +pile of hay, for _Andromeda_ has been there a very long time in the same +position. The ancient Greeks said that _Andromeda_ was chained to a +rock. Let's not have her that way; it would be so disagreeable." + +"She's probably asleep and doesn't notice, but we'll give her the hay," +said Betty. "There's nobody to tell her not to lie down where she likes. +How do we find her, Uncle Henry?" + +"First look for her head," said Uncle Henry. "It is the same star we +found forming the lower corner of _Pegasus'_ square on the side toward +the pole star. _Andromeda's_ feet are just below the W-shaped +_Cassiopeia_. A line drawn from the swan's beak through his tail, and +extended across the sky, will reach the stars in the feet. (25) Another +line drawn diagonally across the square of _Pegasus_ to _Andromeda's_ +head and extended will pass along her body, and farther on, her left +foot will be seen just above the line. You see her now, don't you, +Betty?" + +"Yes," said Betty, "and I think I see her arms." + +"All right, draw her in," Uncle Henry encouraged. + +Betty did, but didn't think she could draw well enough to outline the +sleeping girl, so Uncle Henry did that. Then _Andromeda_ looked like +this: + +[Illustration] + +Betty added a few lines to show that _Andromeda_ was lying on a pile of +hay, instead of being chained to that hard rock the Greeks insisted +upon. + +"What is that fuzzy little star just to her right, about at her hip?" +asked Paul. + +"I'm glad you noticed that," said Uncle Henry. "The astronomers who +lived ever so long ago, long before the birth of Christ Jesus, noticed +that it looked 'fuzzy,' just as you have, and called it 'the little +cloud.' It is now called 'The Great Nebula in _Andromeda_.' If you +looked at it through a telescope you would see that it is not one star, +but a great many. Some of them, as astronomers who live now tell us, are +as large as our sun." + +"Ooh, how wonderful!" said Betty softly, and the boys' faces showed that +they thought so, too. + +"Some night," promised Uncle Henry, "we'll bring up a little telescope +and look at 'the little cloud' again. It is a fine sight." + +"Now," said Paul after a moment, "please can I find the ram and the +little dog?" + +"Certainly," said Uncle Henry. "Just as _Canis Major_, the bigger dog, +follows _Orion_ and belongs to him, so _Canis Minor_, the littler dog, +follows and belongs to the star children, the twins named _Gemini_." + +"Ooh!" exclaimed Betty, "just like 'Rags' belongs to Peter and Paul! +We'll call the little dog 'Rags' when Paul finds him." + +"Fine!" laughed Uncle Henry, "but I warn you that he won't come when you +call him as well as the real live 'Rags' answers to his name." + +"Where do I start?" inquired Paul, anxious to have his chance to draw. + +"At the feet of the twins," directed Uncle Henry. "Draw a line through +their feet and extend it away from the feet of _Pollux_, in the +direction away from _Taurus_, the bull. (26) At a point about as far +away from the foot of _Pollux_ as the height of the twins you will find +a bright star, and between it and the foot of _Pollux_ a fainter one. +Draw a line to connect them, and you have the little dog's backbone. You +can fill in the rest of him any way you like, for those are the only two +stars he has in him. I'll tell you one thing, though. The brighter star +is at the little dog's tail instead of his head. The opposite was the +case with _Orion's_ dog." + +The children found the two stars very easily and Paul put down dots of +the right size to represent them. Then he drew the outline of the little +sky dog, making him an Airedale, as you can see, so that he might be the +same as his beloved flesh and blood name-sake "Rags." + +[Illustration] + +"Now that we've found the two dogs, that makes it easy to find _Cancer_ +the Crab," said Uncle Henry. "Just draw a line from _Sirius_, in the +Big Dog, through the Little Dog, and extend it almost as far again. (27) +That's right. Now what do you see?" + +The children searched the sky for some time, and Betty finally said, +"Sort of a sprawly bunch of six or eight rather faint stars." + +"Make little chalk-dots for them, then, Betty, and we'll try our best to +make them look like a crab." + +This shows how _Cancer_ the crab looked when he was finished on the +blackboard, and how he crawls in the sky away from _Canis Major_ and +_Gemini_, the twin boys. Perhaps he has learned by experience to leave +boys and dogs as far behind as possible. + +[Illustration] + +"Now let's find the ram!" said Paul. "I want to draw him." + +"The ram," said Uncle Henry, "is very small, and is made of only three +stars. A line drawn from the top corner of _Pegasus'_ box stall, on the +side next the pole, going straight down the side, and extended below it +one and a half times the height of the stall, will point to the ram. +(28) You can also locate _Aries_, the Ram, by drawing a line from the +star in the swan's tail, across the stars in _Andromeda's_ hips, and +beyond them a little more than the distance from her head to her hips. +Don't mistake a little triangle of stars that you will see just below +_Andromeda's_ left leg for the three stars of _Aries_. _Aries_ is a +triangle, also, but it has _two_ fairly bright stars, while the triangle +has only _one_. Do you all see _Aries_, the Ram?" + +The children had all found it after a few moments, as well as the +triangle under _Andromeda's_ feet. When Paul had made the chalk dots and +lines for _Aries'_ skeleton, Uncle Henry drew the outline around them +and the ram looked like this. You will see that in order to show _Aries_ +right side up, the blackboard had to be turned so that _Andromeda_ was +upside down. + +"While we are in the neighborhood of _Pegasus_ and _Andromeda_ and +_Aries_ the Ram we may as well find the two fishes. One of them, called +the _Northern Fish_, lies just about halfway between _Andromeda's_ body +and _Aries_--and the other, called the _Western Fish_, lies just back of +_Pegasus'_ box stall, quite close to the water jar of _Aquarius_. (29) + +[Illustration] + +"The two fishes are tied together by their tails. The cord or ribbon +runs eastward from the tail of the _Western Fish_, running about +parallel to the side of _Pegasus'_ stall, and then makes a sharp angle, +coming back toward _Andromeda_, where it is fastened to the _Northern +Fish's_ tail." + +When _Pisces_, or "The Fishes" were found and drawn with chalk they were +in this relation to _Pegasus_, _Andromeda_, _Aries_, and _Aquarius'_ +Jar. + +[Illustration] + +"While I think of it," said Uncle Henry, "I want to tell you that +sometimes you may find a very bright star in a constellation where it +doesn't seem to belong. If you watch it for a few nights you will see +that it moves. It isn't a star at all, but a _planet_ or "wanderer." +Sometime I'll show you how to know all the planets by sight and name. +You will never see them except in the zodiac constellations, so they +need not confuse you. And now I think all of us had better go downstairs +and get warm before we go to bed. Besides, we want to leave a little to +do to-morrow night, and there are only two constellations left now." + +"Only two?" cried the children in disappointment. + +"Only two that we can see well," assured Uncle Henry. + +"Well," said Peter, "I guess we'd better have the Society adjourn. I +move we adjourn." + +"Second the motion," said Paul, with true parliamentary solemnity. + +"Carried," murmured Betty, who was beginning to get sleepy in spite of +herself. + + + + +THIRD WINTER EVENING + + THE SKY CLOUDED OVER, BUT PETER FOUND THE STAR PEOPLE HIDING IN + THE ALMANAC--PAUL FOUND HIS HEAD WAS THE WORLD--AND THE + "SOCIETY" FOUND OUT ABOUT THE SWASTIKA AND THE ZODIAC, AND + HOW YOU TELL WHEN A DIPPER IS A PLOUGH AND WHEN IT'S A WAGON + + +Next evening Peter and Paul carried the blackboard to the roof after +supper, but soon returned in disappointment. The sky had all clouded +over! The evening's session of the "Society of Star-Gazers" was spoiled. +Its members stood in a circle about Uncle Henry and looked hopefully at +him. Never yet had he failed to make good in an emergency. + +"Well, it can't be helped," said Uncle Henry cheerfully. "We'll just +have to bring Starland down here into our playroom for this evening. +Suppose you get me--let's see--about a dozen sheets of paper from a big +scratch pad, some of Betty's colored crayons--they had better be the +dark-colored ones--and a good-sized sheet of stiff cardboard or Bristol +board. Yes, and some pins and an Almanac. Betty'll get the colored +pencils, Paul the cardboard, and Peter the sheets of paper and the pins. +I'll borrow the Almanac from Katy. She has one in the kitchen." + +The children scattered for the materials and Uncle Henry took the shade +off the electric lamp that stood on the playroom table. + +When everybody was back in the playroom with the things needed the +Society gathered around Uncle Henry and asked, + +"Where do we go from here, Uncle Hen?" + +"Out into Starland," said Uncle Henry, spreading out his arms wide. +"This room is the universe. This lamp with the shade off is the sun. +Imagine that the pictures on the walls are groups of stars, the +constellations, the star-people we have been finding in the sky right +along. Imagine that there are pictures on the ceiling, too, and on the +floor. Lots of them, all over the six sides of this square room. + +"Now Paul, you have a nice round head and have just had a hair-cut. Your +head can be the earth. Just walk around the table once or twice until we +get used to thinking about your head as the world. It seems rather small +at first. That's right. Now you're going around the sun the way the +earth does, from right to left, just opposite to the way the clock-hands +go. You go once around the sun every year. + +"The earth of course spins on its axis, too, just like a top, while it +is circling round the sun. It turns round completely every twenty-four +hours, from West to East. Paul, see if you can spin like a top while you +are going round the lamp. Spin from right to left, just opposite to the +way the clock-hands go." + +Paul did his best to spin and walk at the same time, and Uncle Henry +showed Peter and Betty that the side of Paul's head that was toward the +lamp was always bright, while the other side was always in shadow. As +Paul turned on his axis from right to left his face became lighted, then +the right side of his head, then its back, then the left side, and so +on, round and round. + +Part of the time Paul was facing a picture on one wall and the next +minute his back was toward that picture and he was looking at another +picture on the opposite wall, across the lamp. + +These two drawings show how Paul faced the two pictures one after the +other. + +[Illustration: Night on Paul's Face] + +[Illustration: Day on Paul's Face] + +"Now tell me," commanded Uncle Henry, "which picture you see the +plainest--is it the one you see when your back is to the lamp--or is +it the one you see when you face the lamp, and look across it toward +the picture on the wall beyond?" + +"The lamp is so bright without a shade that it blinds me when I try to +see the picture beyond it," said Paul. + +"Oh, I see! I see!" said Betty, beginning to hop up and down. "Can I +tell, Uncle Henry?" + +"Surely," laughed Uncle Henry, "what do you see?" + +"When Paul faces the picture with his back to the lamp," said Betty, +"it's night on his face, and day on the back of his head! Is that +right?" + +"Yes, go on," encouraged Uncle Henry. + +"And so he can see that picture better, 'cause the lamplight isn't in +his eyes. But when he faces the lamp and looks across it, then it's day +in his face, and night on the back of his head, and he can't see the +picture beyond the lamp very well, 'cause the sun-lamp shines in his +eyes." + +"So that's why we can only see the stars at night!" said Peter. + +"Yes, that's why the moon and the stars come out only when it gets +dark," said Uncle Henry. "You see the earth turns round and carries us +to its dark side, the side that is away from the sun. We say 'The sun +has set.' Then when the sun glare is gone from our eyes we can see the +sky-pictures, just as Paul sees one picture better with his back to the +lamp than he does the other when he has to look through the lamp-light +toward it." + +"And the stars are in the sky all day long, whether we see them or not?" +asked Paul. + +"Certainly," said Uncle Henry. "If you could look up at the sky from the +bottom of a very deep well, or a tall chimney, so that the sun-light was +kept out of your eyes, you could see the stars shining in the daytime. +There is a long deep tunnel in the great pyramid of Egypt that goes up +and out from the centre of its base toward its north side at just the +right angle so that the ancient Egyptians could always see the pole star +through it--no matter whether it was night or daytime. You see the pole +star never rises or sets, because it is always right over the end of the +axis that the earth spins on." + +This picture shows how the tunnel in the great pyramid always pointed to +the north star because the tunnel is always parallel to the axis the +earth spins on. + +[Illustration] + +When the pyramid was built, the star in the tip of the little bear's +tail was not the pole star, as it is now. At that time the star that was +nearest the pole was one of those in the dragon. Since the pole of the +earth goes round in a complete circle among the stars every 25,000 +years, the star in _Draco_ will some time be the pole-star again--in, +say 20,000 more years! + +Peter had picked up the Almanac that Uncle Henry had borrowed from Katy +and suddenly cried, + +"Oh, Uncle Henry, the Almanac has a lot of the Star People in it. It +calls them 'The Signs of the Zodiac.' What's the Zodiac, Uncle Hen?" + +"We are going to find out right away, Pete," said Uncle Henry, "but +first we must draw pictures of the twelve star folks that are the Zodiac +signs. That means three drawings apiece. Pull up your chairs to the +table and we'll draw on the sheets of scratch paper with Betty's colored +pencils. Paul, you do the _Virgo_, _Leo_, and _Cancer_ the Crab; Peter +will draw _Gemini_ the Twins, _Taurus_ the Bull, and _Aries_ the Ram; +Betty will do the Fishes, called _Pisces_ in Latin, _Aquarius_ the Water +Carrier, and _Capricornus_ the Goat; while I will draw _Sagittarius_ the +Archer, _Scorpio_, and _Libra_ the Balance. All old friends of ours." + +"We'll put the Almanac here in the middle of the table where we can all +see it while we copy the 'signs,' one on each sheet of paper." + +Everybody was very busy indeed for about half an hour. At the end of +that time the twelve rough drawings were done and pinned up at equal +distances apart around the walls of the playroom, three on each of the +four walls. They were arranged around the room in the same order in +which Uncle Henry had assigned them. The room then looked like this, +though of course you see only three walls in a picture. You must imagine +how the fourth wall looked. + +[Illustration] + +"Now Paul, suppose you walk around the table again, spinning on your own +axis as you go, and we'll try to find out what the Zodiac is. You notice +that the pictures are all pinned on the walls at the same height from +the floor, which is just the height of the electric lamp bulb, and just +the height of Paul's head too, no matter where he is in his walk around +the lamp. The twelve constellations, or signs of the Zodiac are in the +real sky also on the same level with the earth and the sun, no matter +where the earth is in its journey round the sun. Astronomers say it this +way: they say that the earth revolves around the sun 'in the plane of +the ecliptic.' That simply means that if the sun was in the centre of an +enormous horizontal pane of glass, the earth and all the signs of the +Zodiac would also always be touching the pane of glass, which would then +represent the 'plane of the ecliptic.' Put an l in 'pane' and you have +'plane.'" + +"Is each sign for a month?" asked Peter. "I see there are twelve of +them." + +"That's correct," said Uncle Henry, "and you want to notice that as Paul +walks round the lamp and looks across it at the signs on the wall beyond +it, the lamp seems to Paul to move from one picture to the next." + +This picture is drawn as if the ceiling of the room was taken off and +you could look down on Paul walking around the lamp. + +[Illustration] + +When it is January first, Paul, representing the earth, is in the +position marked A, nearest to the picture of _Gemini_ behind him, +while the lamp, representing the sun, appears to him to be entering +the sign of the Zodiac called _Sagittarius_, directly opposite across +the room. Later, on April first, after three months, Paul, or the +earth, has traveled a quarter of the way around the sun, has passed +the pictures of _Cancer_ and _Leo_ on the wall behind him, and stands +nearest _Virgo_ in the position marked B. The lamp has also seemed +to move through a quarter circle, has passed through the signs of +_Capricornus_ and _Aquarius_, and appears to Paul to be just entering +the sign of _Pisces_, or the Fishes. In the same way the earth moves +through a sign of the Zodiac every month and the sun, while really +motionless, _appears_ to also travel through a sign every month. Of +course we cannot see the sign or constellation, where the sun appears +to be, at the same time we see the sun, for his brightness makes the +stars invisible, but if we _could_ see the constellations by day, the +sun would appear to travel from one sign of the Zodiac to the next +every month. + +[Illustration] + +Here is a clock of the year which shows the earth at one end of the +hand, the sun in the middle, and at the other end of the hand an arrow, +which points to the sign of the Zodiac where the sun appears to be, and +to the date when it seems to be there to an observer on the earth. Draw +the hand with the earth-end in several different positions and you will +see that the sun, if viewed from the earth, would appear to be in the +sign of the Zodiac exactly opposite. + +When the children all understood the way the Zodiac divides the yearly +path of the earth into twelve equal parts, Betty said, "I want to know +why the geography globe at school always looks just as if it was going +to tip over." + +Uncle Henry laughed. "If you think the geography globe looks unsteady +because its axis of iron rod is on a slant, what will you think about +the earth when I tell you that it spins around in just the same slanting +position, with only an _imaginary_ line for axis?" + +"Does it really?" asked Betty. + +"Yes," said Uncle Henry, "and it spins so steadily in that slanting +position that the north end of its imaginary axis always points toward +the same place, a point very close to the north star, or _Polaris_ as it +is called." + +"_Polaris_ is named for the North Pole, I suppose," said Peter. + +"That's right," Uncle Henry replied. "Let's get some scissors and we'll +use our big sheet of cardboard to make a cap for Paul's head that will +show you just how the slant of the earth's axis makes it hotter in +summer and colder in winter." + +"Ooh!" exclaimed Paul, "I always thought it was hot in summer because +the earth got nearer to the sun then." + +"Lots of people think that, too," said Uncle Henry, "but it isn't so. +The earth is really farther from the sun in summer." + +Betty ran for the scissors, and Uncle Henry cut out a big circle from +the stiff cardboard. Then he cut out an opening in the centre of it +that fitted Paul's head just as a stiff straw hat would that was a +size too big for him. The circle of cardboard dropped down until it +rested on Paul's ears and on the bridge of his nose. This cardboard +brim represented the "plane of the earth's equator," just as the pane +of glass represented the "plane of the ecliptic." Since the "plane of +the equator" is always at right angles to the slanting axis of the +earth, the "plane of the equator" is always at a slant to the "plane +of the ecliptic." + +If you will run a long hat-pin through an orange, and sink the orange +exactly to its middle in a glass bowl filled with water, holding the +hat-pin at a slant, you will see that the equator of the orange is at +a slant with the surface of the water. Half of the orange's equator +curves up above the water, while half of it curves down under the +water's surface. If you fasten a cardboard ring around the orange at the +equator the cardboard will then be at an angle with the surface of the +water, which represents the "plane of the ecliptic." + +Uncle Henry cut two long strips from what was left of the cardboard and +crossed the strips over the top of Paul's head, fastening the four ends +of them to the round cardboard brim close to his head. + +[Illustration] + +After this Uncle Henry rolled a sheet of the scratch paper round a +pencil, put rubber bands tightly around it, cut the end to bend up and +make a foot and pinned the foot to the cardboard strips at the place +where they crossed. When Paul had it all on he looked very funny with +the pencil sticking straight up from the top of his head, and his eyes +just peeping over the cardboard brim on each side of the strip down the +middle of his nose. + +"Now come on, Mr. Earth," said Uncle Henry, "It's time for you to spin +round the lamp-sun for another year or two." + +So Paul held his head on a slant and kept it so that the pencil always +pointed in the same direction as he went round the lamp. These four +little pictures show how he looked at the four sides of the sun where +the earth is in Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn. + +[Illustration] + +"Now," said Uncle Henry, "you see that if we make a black dot on one of +the cardboard strips about halfway between the cardboard brim, or the +earth's equator, and the pencil, or the North Pole, it will be about as +far north as we are in the United States. And when Paul is in his Summer +position, with the pencil slanting _toward_ the 'sun,' you see that the +sun's rays beat down much straighter on the black dot than they do when +he is on the other side of the lamp, with the pole slanting _away_ from +the 'sun.' That is why the Winter sun appears to be lower in the sky at +noon than the Summer sun, and also why the Summer sun shines hotter on +the earth than it does in Winter. Notice, too, that the rays from the +lamp light up Paul's head for quite a little way beyond the foot of the +'pole' when it slants _toward_ the 'sun,' while when it slants _away_ +from the 'sun' the rays fail to reach the 'pole' at all. This means that +in summer the sun shines a longer time upon the part of the earth that +slants toward it. If you could look down from the ceiling at Paul's head +in his Summer position and in his Winter one you would see why." + +Uncle Henry quickly drew these two pictures of the top of a globe to +show the children why the days are long in Summer and short in Winter at +any point in the United States. + + [Illustration: _The Winter Day_ lasts while the black dot on the + earth travels from A to B--less than half-way round. + + _The Summer Day_ lasts while the black dot on the earth travels from + C to D--more than half-way round.] + +"It's just like the hot water bottle mother kept in my bed that time I +had a chill after swimming," said Paul. "The hotter it was before she +put it in the bed the slower it cooled off." + +"That's the idea," said Uncle Henry, "the longer the sun shines on any +place on the earth the hotter it gets, and when the nights are as short +as they are in Summer the place hasn't long to cool off before it is +round in the sun's hot rays again. Now do you see why Summer is hotter +than Winter?" + +The children did. + +"There's one thing I don't understand, though," said Peter. "Why are +there different stars in the sky in Winter than there are in Summer?" + +"That's easy to answer," said Uncle Henry. "Look at Paul again--first +when it's 'night' on his face on the 'Summer' side of the lamp, and then +when it is 'night' on his face on the 'Winter' side of the lamp. + +"At 'night' in Summer Paul looks at the pictures on one end of the room. +The cardboard brim, or 'plane of the equator,' is slanted _up_, above +the 'plane of the ecliptic.'" + +This picture shows how Paul looked. + +[Illustration] + +"But in Winter, at 'night,' Paul looks at quite different pictures, at +the other end of the room. The cardboard brim is slanted _down_, below +the level of the 'plane of the ecliptic.' This is why the path of the +Winter Signs crosses the sky higher up than the path of the Summer +Signs. In both Winter and Summer you must imagine the cardboard brim to +be as transparent as glass, for the 'plane of the equator' is in reality +only imaginary." + +This next picture shows how Paul looked at the constellations at "night" +in Winter. + +[Illustration] + +"Of course the north star and the stars for a considerable distance +round the pole never set, and can be seen all night at any time of the +year. It is only the ones that rise and set that go and come from our +sight with the seasons. In reality they never leave us, for if it wasn't +for the sunlight getting in our eyes by day, we could see the Summer +night star-pictures in the Winter daytime, and the Winter night star +people in the Summer daytime. We are just looking at opposite ends of +our big room in the universe on Winter nights and Summer nights, that's +all," said Uncle Henry. + +Uncle Henry took some folded papers from his pocket and spread them out +on the table. + +"Here are four maps of the sky," he said, "which show the way it looks +at different seasons at 9 o'clock in the evening--on January 1st, April +1st, July 1st, and October 1st. You will see that the groups of stars +around the pole are always in view, while the rest of the star people +change with the seasons, but even the groups around the pole change +their positions with the seasons. + +"You have all seen the _Swastika_. It has been known and used as an +ornament for hundreds of years, all over the world--by the American +Indians, the Chinese, the East Indians, and many others. I'll show you +where I think all these widely separated people got the _Swastika_, and +how it stands for the four seasons." + +Uncle Henry drew four little pictures showing the four positions in +which the big dipper stands in the four different seasons, with its +"pointer stars" always indicating the pole star. + +[Illustration: At the right of the pole star in Winter.] + +[Illustration: Above the pole star in Spring.] + +[Illustration: At the left of the pole star in Summer.] + +[Illustration: Below the pole star in Autumn.] + +Then he drew all four positions on one sheet of paper, like this: + +[Illustration] + +And when heavy lines were drawn along the handles of the dippers and +across the pole star from bowl to bowl the _Swastika_ suddenly appeared +like this: + +[Illustration] + +The Society of Star-Gazers was very enthusiastic about the origin of the +_Swastika_, and found the dipper in its different positions on all of +the four maps that Uncle Henry had put on the table. + +You can see the position of the dipper and all the other stars at +January 1st, April 1st, July 1st, and December 1st, at 9 o'clock in the +evening, by looking at the four maps inside the covers of this book. + +After the children had looked at all the four maps as long as they +wanted to, Uncle Henry suddenly remembered to look at his watch and +exclaimed, + +"My goodness! I guess it's about time the Society adjourned for +to-night. Ten o'clock! I'll get scolded for keeping you up so late." + +"I want to ask just one thing more," pleaded Betty. + +"All right, what is it?" said Uncle Henry. + +"Who found all the sky people?" + +"Well," said Uncle Henry, "now that's a long story. They were all found +and named so long ago that nobody knows who did it. The inventors of +the star people naturally thought they saw pictures in the sky of the +things they were familar with in everyday life--the bear, the bull, the +serpent, the archer, and so on. If they had had any steam engines then +somebody would have drawn lines from star to star until they had a +picture of one in the sky. In England the Great Bear or Dipper is +usually called the 'Plough' and you can see why + +[Illustration] + +"It is also called 'Charles' Wain' or wagon. + +[Illustration] + +"We only know that the constellations are very, very old, and that an +ancient people living in the valley of the Euphrates river probably +named most of them. The Babylonian Tablets, the oldest records known, +show that the Zodiac constellations were known over 3000 years before +the birth of Christ, which is now nearly 5000 years ago." + +"Can't we have just one more poem before we go to bed?" said Paul. + +"Yes," said Uncle Henry, "but not one of mine. I'll give you a little +bit of a long poem that was written by a man named _Aratos_ about 280 +years before the wise men followed the star that told them where to find +the new-born Christ. It has been running through my mind all the +evening. This is it: + + "And all the signs through which Night whirls her car, + From belted _Orion_ back to _Orion_ and his dauntless Hound, + And all _Poseidon's_, all high _Zeus's_ stars, + Bear on their beams true messages to man." + + + + +FOURTH WINTER EVENING + + IN WHICH THE "SOCIETY" MEETS THE LAST OF THE STAR PEOPLE AND + THE BEGINNING OF ASTRONOMY--AND BETTY PROPOSES A "NOTE" OF + THANKS + + +The Society of Star-Gazers assembled upon the roof the next night with +an eagerness that was tempered a little by regret that it _was_ the +last. + +Uncle Henry saw this, and before starting to find the evening's +constellations with the children, told them a few of the many wonderful +things to be seen among the stars with the aid of a small telescope. + +He reminded them of the "little cloud" in _Andromeda_, called the Great +Nebula, and said that there were not only many more of these wonderful +clouds of star dust, but numbers of beautiful double stars, some of them +lovely with tints of red, green or orange, and some that can be seen +with an ordinary opera-glass. + +Then he told them of the curious variable, or "winking" stars, which +turn bright and faint alternately on a regular schedule, so many hours +bright, and so many hours faint. Also he described the beauty of the +planet _Jupiter_, surrounded by its four little moons, all of which +could be seen with a small telescope. + +Then the children began to feel more cheerful, for they saw that being +introduced to the creatures and people of Skyland was only the beginning +of the study of astronomy. + +"So," finished Uncle Henry, "we don't need to feel that there is no more +fun coming, for there are lots more faint constellations which are all +beautiful, even though not plain enough for us to find easily in the +beginning. Besides, if you ever journey to the South, beyond the earth's +equator, you will find a whole new sky full of marvelous people, and +creatures, and objects--all pictured in the flashing southern heavens." + +"Well," said Peter briskly, "what do we find to-night, Uncle Hen?" + +"We'll begin," replied Uncle Henry, "with a person you may have heard +of--_Perseus_, who killed the terrible Gorgon _Medusa_." + +"Oh, I know him," cried Paul, "we read all 'bout him last year." + +"Quite right," said Uncle Henry, "then you remember that when he had +killed _Medusa_, and cut off her head with his sword, he had to hold the +head with the terrible face away from him, because everybody who looked +at that face was instantly turned to stone." + +"Yes, yes, we know!" chorused the Society. + +"Well, now we'll find _Perseus_, his sword, and the head of _Medusa_," +promised Uncle Henry. "All you have to do is to extend the line of +_Andromeda's_ left leg and prolong it from her foot, straight out +for about her whole length. (30) There you will find _Algenib_, the +brightest star in _Perseus_. It is right in his neck, between his +shoulders. From _Algenib_ you can trace a row of stars downward, +almost to the _Pleiades_ in the bull's shoulder. This row of stars is +_Perseus'_ body and legs. Then find two stars above _Algenib_, one over +the other, and you have his head and helmet. + +"After that it is easy to start at _Algenib_ and trace out his right +arm, with the sword. A line drawn toward _Perseus_ through the stars in +_Andromeda's_ head and left hip points out the star _Algol_, which is +the head of _Medusa_, held in _Perseus'_ left hand. (31) _Algol_ is a +famous variable star, which the ancients named 'the dragon of the slowly +winking eye.'" + +The children soon found all of _Perseus_, and all took part in drawing +his skeleton on the blackboard. Then they watched _Algol_ in the sky, +and expected to see it wink, until Uncle Henry told them that the wink +is so slow that it takes seven hours for _Algol_ to become faint and +bright again, and that then two and three-quarter days pass before +_Algol_ winks again. This being the case the Society decided not to +wait, and finished _Perseus_ up so that he looked this way: + +[Illustration] + +Uncle Henry added the lines with arrows to show how _Algenib_ and +_Algol_ are found, with the help of _Andromeda_. + +After _Perseus_ was finished, Betty kept gazing at the sky. She seemed +fascinated, and finally asked, + +"Uncle Henry, there's a perfectly lovely star just a little way in front +of _Perseus_, and three little ones near it. If I could name stars I +would call them 'the hen and chickens,' wouldn't you?" + +All the children looked, and easily found the beautiful star. They +couldn't have missed it, and neither can you, for it is one of the most +brilliant in the sky and there are no others like it nearby. + +"Yes," said Uncle Henry, "the big star and the three little ones do look +like a hen and her chickens. I would call them that, too, Betty, but +hundreds of years ago somebody named the bright star _Capella_, which +means 'the goat,' and called the three little stars 'the kids,' so you +see that they are named already." + +"A kid is the baby of a goat, isn't it, Uncle Hen?" inquired Peter. + +"Yes, that's the idea," said Uncle Henry, and went on, "Betty happens +to have picked out the brightest star in the last constellation we are +going to find. It is called _Auriga_, or the Charioteer. He hasn't his +chariot with him." + +"How do we find _Auriga_?" inquired Paul. + +"He is very plain, almost as plain as _Orion_ himself," said Uncle +Henry. "_Capella_ is at one corner of a five-sided figure, called a +'pentagon.' (32) It is also in the left shoulder of _Auriga_. Find the +tip of the left horn of _Taurus_, the Bull, and you will have another +corner of the pentagon, and at the same time the right foot of _Auriga_. +When you have those points it is easy to find the other three corners, +which are the right shoulder, left foot, and the right hand of _Auriga_. +He holds his whip in that hand. Even though he had to leave his chariot +when he went into the sky, he insisted on taking his whip along. It +comes in very handy, too, sometimes, when the two lions up there become +fretful and uneasy. When you have found _Auriga's_ shoulder stars, just +draw two lines upward to a star above and between them and you finish +the charioteer's skeleton. The star at the point where the lines cross +is in his head. See him, everybody?" + +The children had no trouble in putting in the stars and drawing the +skeleton. Neither will you, for _Auriga_ is very conspicuous, and almost +straight overhead in the evening about Christmas time. + +This is the way _Auriga_ looked on the blackboard: + +[Illustration] + +When the children had finished looking at _Auriga_, and _Capella_ the +Goat and her three babies, Betty drew herself up very straight and said, +trying to look very dignified, + +"Mr. Chairman, I move that The Society of Star-Gazers give Uncle Henry a +note of thanks for giving us such an instructive, and--and--oh, we've +liked your Christmas present an awful lot, Uncle Henry!" + +Peter was going to say that it was a _vote_ of thanks that people got +from societies, but Betty was so earnest and dignified that he didn't +really want to take her down just then, so he joined Paul in seconding +the motion and was appointed by Betty as a committee of one to write the +"note" and deliver it to Uncle Henry later. + +Uncle Henry looked quite serious, for him, and said that he had made up +a little poem that they might like to hear while standing under the +Christmas stars. + +The Society voted unanimously in the affirmative, so Uncle Henry +recited, + + "There was once a star of old, + Wonders to three wise men told. + + Where it led, there followed they-- + Stars had taught them how to pray, + How to know the Truth from lies-- + God had taught them through His skies. + + Where the star led, followed they, + Found the Christ-child, laid in hay-- + To His mother, in the stable, + Brought Him gifts that they were able. + + Stars lead us to Christmas Truth-- + Let us look, with eyes of youth!" + +Then, in a moment more, Uncle Henry and the children were gone, and the +sleepless, faithful stars were alone, brooding lovingly over their tiny +baby brother, which we call the great world. + + + + +The author desires to express his indebtedness to the following books, +which have given him many hours of enlightening pleasure while riding +the star-gazing hobby: + + A Field Book of the Stars Olcott + + Star Lore of all Ages Olcott + + The Heavens and Their Story Mrs. Maunder + + Astronomy Jacoby + + Astronomy from a Dipper Clarke + + New Astronomy Todd + + Astronomy Lockyer + +He also wishes to add his appreciation of the monthly pleasure given by +"The Evening Sky Map," published by Leon Barritt. + + +Printed in the United States of America + + + + +Transcriber's note: + +The original text has been preserved, but for the following exceptions: +a few missing or extraneous quotation marks have been corrected, and +on page 78 "be" was changed to "he" (had he failed to make good). + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Star People, by Gaylord Johnson + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE STAR PEOPLE *** + +***** This file should be named 37916.txt or 37916.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/7/9/1/37916/ + +Produced by Juliet Sutherland, eagkw and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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