Ursa Minor;
he also has a long tail spangled with stars and four more stars on the side of his body which form a little dipper; the three stars on the tail make the handle. Though the bear is small, he is very important because of the large star on the end of his tail, which you must call the Pole star. This star shines out to show which direction is north when one gets lost or confused about his way. The Pole star may always be depended upon as a guide, and sailors look for it to help them find their course through the waters.
Fig. 619.—Ursa Minor, Little Bear.
Ursa Minor is turned in an opposite direction and position from the Great Bear, and the pose makes it easy for us to find the Pole star, because when we once trace out the stars of the Great Bear in the real sky we will see that the two outermost stars of the four which form its bowl, point to the Pole star. We can pretend that we have tied a string on the star in the outside top end of the Big Dipper ([Figs. 616] and [618] A), and that we are stretching that string out from the Dipper star in a direct line; then we can tie the string on the Pole star in the end of the Little Bear’s tail, as shown in [Figs. 618] and [620], where the dotted line represents a string.
Trace on cardboard and cut out Ursa Minor, punch holes through the stars and hold the little fellow up to the light, head down. The Little Bear, too, is visible shining not far from the Big Bear during the same months.
There is
A Fairy Tale