The very cordial reception given this little book by teachers and
children, both in school and out of school, has tempted me carefully to
revise the stories, omitting some and adding others, in the hope of
making the book still more welcome and more helpful. The illustrations
in the present edition are all from classic sources, and reproduce for
the reader something of the classic idea and the classic art.
The book was originally prepared as an aid in Nature Study, and this
thought has been retained in the present edition. By reading these myths
the child will gain in interest and sympathy for the life of beast,
bird, and tree; he will learn to recognize those constellations which
have been as friends to the wise men of many ages. Such an acquaintance
will broaden the child's life and make him see more quickly the true,
the good, and the beautiful in the world about him.