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THE STAR PEOPLE
[Illustration]
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
NEW YORK · BOSTON · CHICAGO · DALLAS
ATLANTA · SAN FRANCISCO
MACMILLAN & CO., LIMITED
LONDON · BOMBAY · 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-drom'-e-dä) Page 70 Number 25 Sept. to Feb.
Aquarius (a-kw[=a]'-ri-us) " 50 " 19 Aug. " Dec.
Aquila (ak'-wi-lä) " 48 " 17 June " Nov.
Aries (a'-ri-[=e]z) " 75 " 28 Sept. " Feb.
Auriga (â-ri'-ga) " 105 " 32 Oct. " June
Boötes (b[=o]-[=o]'-tez) " 16 " 2 April " Oct.
Cancer (kan'-ser) " 73 " 27 Jan. " June
Canes (k[=a]'-nez
Venatici ve-nat'-i-c[=i]) " 17 " 2 Feb. " Sept.
Canis Major (k[=a]'-nis m[=a]'-jor) " 62 " 22 Jan. " April
Canis Minor (k[=a]'-nis m[=i]'-nor) " 72 " 26 Dec. " May
Capricornus (kap-ri-kôr'-nus) " 49 " 18 Aug. " Nov.
Cassiopeia (kas-i-[=o]-p[=e]'-ya) " 35 " 12 Jan. " Dec.
Cerberus (seer'-ber-us) " 38 " 14 April " Nov.
Corona (k[=o]-r[=o]'-nä
Borealis b[=o]-r[=e]-a'-lis) " 33 " 11 April " Oct.
Cygnus (sig'-nus) " 21 " 4 June " Jan.
Delphinus (del-fi'-nus) " 44 " 16 June " Dec.
Draco (dr[=a]'-ko) " 23 " 5 Jan. " Dec.
Gemini (jem'-i-ni) " 59 " 21 Dec. " June
Hercules (her'-k[=u]-l[=e]z) " 38 " 14 April " Nov.
Leo (le'-o) " 20 " 3 Feb. " July
Leo Minor (le'-o m[=i]-nor) " 20 " 3 Jan. " July
Lepus (l[=e]'-pus) " 64 " Dec. " March
Libra (l[=i]'-bra) " 36 " 13 May " Aug.
Lyra (l[=i]'-ra) " 25 " 6 April " Dec.
Ophiuchus (of-i-[=u]'-kus) " 42 " 15 May " Oct.
Orion ([=o]-r[=i]'-on) " 56 " 20 Nov. " April
Pegasus (peg'-a-sus) " 67 " 23 Aug. " Jan.
Perseus (per'-s[=u]s) " 102 " 30 Sept. " May
Pisces (pis'-[=e]z) " 76 " 29 Sept. " Feb.
Sagitta (sa-jit'-a) " 26 " 16 June " Dec.
Sagittarius (saj-i-t[=a]'-ri-us) " 27 " 7 July " Sept.
Scorpio (skór'-pi-[=o]) " 29 " 9 June " Sept.
Serpens (ser'-pens) " 42 " 15 May " Oct.
Taurus (tâ'-rus) " 58 " 20 Nov. " April
Triangulum (tr[=i]-an'-g[=u]-lum) " 75 " 31 Sept. " Feb.
Ursa Major (er'-sa m[=a]'-jor) " 7 " 1 Jan. " Dec.
Ursa Minor (er'-sa m[=i]'-nor) " 10 " 1 Jan. " Dec.
Virgo (ver'-g[=o]) " 33 " 10 April " Aug.
STAR PEOPLE ON MAPS BUT NOT TALKED ABOUT BY "THE SOCIETY"
(a) Hydra (h[=i]'-dra) (d) Cepheus (s[=e]f'-[=u]s)
(b) Crater (kr[=a]'-ter) (e) Cetus (s[=e]'-tus)
(c) Corvus (kôr'-vus) (f) Eridanus ([=e]-rid'-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 '_Boötes_,' 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. _Boötes_ 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 _Boötes'_ 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 _Boötes_ 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 _Boötes_ 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, _Boötes_ 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, _Boötes_,
pronounced B[=o]-[=o]-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, Boötes howls,
His dogs, they both are barking.
For Ursa stole Boötes' 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 Boötes 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 _Boötes'_ 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
_Boötes'_ kilt. Get that? Well, then, draw a line in the sand, Betty,
from _Boötes'_ 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
Boötes. (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 _Æthiopia_, 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.