Fig. 621.—Cassiopeia.
about the starry bears. The story tells us that a long time ago these animals were not bears and did not live among the stars. The Great Bear was a gentle lady, and the Little Bear her son. The poor mother and son were turned into bears by the goddess Juno, and their friend Jupiter had not enough power to disenchant them and restore to them their human forms. So he did what he thought was next best; he placed the two bears, mother and son, up in the sky among the stars, where they remain to this day.
Fig. 621 is
Cassiopeia
Fig. 622.—Cassiopeia.
In the sky all of her stars are brilliant, except the one marked K. This is a shy little twinkler and appears rather faint at times; but in the Autumn when you hunt for Cassiopeia, you will be able to see the star K, if your eyes are bright. This lady with uplifted arms is the wife of a king. Trace her and cut her out, punch holes through the centres of the seven stars, then catch hold of the sweeping train of the queen’s dress and hold her up to the light, when the pinholes will look like [Fig. 622], reminding one of a chair turned upside down, with its feet toward the queen’s head and its back down toward her feet. You will be delighted with this constellation, for it is very beautiful, and you may find Cassiopeia any night of August, September, October, November, December, January and February, as she is always then visible after dark.