“Then they were in a pickle! Major had always liked Andromeda, and she tried to coax him. But he wouldn’t pay the slightest attention when she talked.”
“He thinks he’s a Wagon, just the same, if he has stopped,” said Phyllisy.
“Of course,” said the Princess. “So it was no use to talk to him. Then they tried to push him and pull him around; but he shook them off, and even growled as no one had heard him growl before. Besides that, he was naturally an extremely large bear, and being a Dipper, with nothing to dip, and doing absolutely nothing else, had made him grow fat. Even if he had allowed them, they could hardly have moved him all that way. And certainly not without Hercules’ help. All this time he had stood aside, saying nothing, though they hadn’t noticed it, they were so busy with Major himself. At last Orion almost suggested setting his dogs on him. But they all said: ‘The idea! Poor, dear, old Major!’ and he said quickly, of course he didn’t mean it. He only said they could. Nobody answered him; nobody spoke at all for as much as a minute.
“Then Cassiopeia sniffed. Then she looked very hard at Hercules, and remarked: ‘If I could do anything I wouldn’t wait to be asked.’
“‘Who could?’ asked Perseus.
“‘I don’t say any one could,’ said Cassiopeia. ‘But if I were so strong that my hands just—er—swung, and I saw that poor old lamb, far from his home, and with not sense enough to go to it, I’d do the best I could to take him there!’
“‘There aren’t stars enough in the Sky to make me touch him!’ said Hercules. ‘And it isn’t carryin’ him I mind. Bless you, I could pick him up like a baby. He doesn’t weigh so much.’
“‘Then why don’t you do it?’ asked Cepheus.
“‘’Tisn’t lucky,’ said Hercules. ‘He isn’t willing; and he’s an Innocent. No good ever comes of crossing an idjit. I wouldn’t lay so much as a finger on that loony bear—unless he was willing—for all you could offer! No, sir-ee!’
“Then they were just about ready to give up, or take anything that offered, so they weren’t very reluctant to see old Aquarius, who had been beckoning to them and waving his watering-pot for some time, and evidently had something to say. They drew near, where he could talk to them, though they groaned when they did it, for they knew he would bore them almost to death.