“‘Look at Major!’
“They all looked—even Aquarius stopped with his mouth open—and, what do you think? With all their trying they couldn’t move that foolish old Bear one inch. But now, when they were worried to death, and trying to think what to do next, and were leaving him alone—
“All at once he turned his great head and seemed to see for the first time where he was. Then he stood up; and they held their breath to see what he would do. He stood for a moment, swaying his huge body back and forth; then he swung around until his nose pointed to the North, and started off at an even trot, never looking to the right nor to the left, just like an ordinary bear, and not in the least like a wagon or a dipper! And he didn’t stop until he reached his very own place in the Sky. The Star People followed him all the way on tiptoe, not daring to speak for fear he would change his mind again before he reached home. But I shouldn’t wonder if old Aquarius went right on talking, though there was not a soul left to hear him; for no one thought to say ‘Good-by.’
“That was a long time ago, and Major still thinks he’s a Dipper; but he knows it’s no use to be a Wagon without horses. So he stays in his place, and the Star People feel pretty comfortable about him. But”—the Princess dropped her voice, and glanced up at the sky—“just suppose he ever finds out about Automobiles!”
“O-o-o-oh!” said the Others, politely horrified.
Then: “He won’t,” said Pat. “And I know what the other name for it is, besides Dipper and Great Bear. You needn’t tell.”
“I know, too,” said Phyllisy.
“I’d like to tell somebody,” said the Princess. “Come close, Kitten, and let me whisper it.”
So the Kitten came close, and she and the Princess found her ear—warm and rosy under a great deal of troublesome hair—and the Princess whispered in it until the Kitten laughed. “Now we all know, don’t we?” said the Princess. And they all nodded.
The waves were running away from them, up the beach, a long way beyond the point of the ship where the bowsprit used to be.