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: