Here Uncle Bill offered an explanation of the marvel.
“It’s a star, all right, Billy, and it really is moving east to us because we are so far north that we see it below what is ordinarily the horizon! Watch carefully now, and soon you will see it move west and behave as all other well-trained stars do.”
This proved to be so and before the party quite reached home Capella had risen high in the heavens to join the orderly procession of westward moving stars.
“Do any of you know the Algonquin name for the Big Dipper?” asked Mrs. Remington.
Aunt Miriam demonstrated her knowledge of the zodiac at this point and told the story of Ojeeg-Annung, the Fisher Star.
“Ojeeg-Annung was a mighty hunter—he lived with his wife and little son on the shores of a great lake. They always had plenty to eat because Ojeeg was so skilful in the chase. But at that time it was always winter in the land—the sky people kept the Birds of Summer shut up in cages in the Fields of Heaven.
“The little son complained of the continual cold, especially when his hands were stiff and aching so that he could not use his bow and arrow on the squirrels and rabbits.
“One day when he cried with the cold, a squirrel hopped up and told him, ‘Keep on crying and complaining no matter what your parents offer you for consolation, and at last your father, who is a magician, will promise you anything you want if you will only stop crying. Then ask him to make Summer in the land!’
“The boy followed the squirrel’s advice and it happened as he said it would.
“Ojeeg called all his fellow-chiefs together and they made strong medicine and started off to climb to Heaven.