"The American Indians tell a quaint story about the Little Dipper. Would you like to hear it?" [Illustration: THE LITTLE BEAR.] "If you are not tired, sister," said Harry. "You will get tired first, for I enjoy telling you these stories, if they amuse you, dear. Well, here is one that I came across some years ago among a collection of Indian legends. "Once upon a time a party of Indians went out hunting in a strange country and lost their way. They wandered about for many moons." "What does that mean?" asked Harry. "I suppose they did not know anything about our months, so they counted from full moon to full moon. This shows how much they observe the sky. But, as I was saying, they wandered about for many moons, and at last the chiefs decided to hold a council and pray to the gods to show them the way home. During the dance that preceded the council, while the flames of burnt offerings were ascending to the gods, a little child appeared suddenly in their midst and said she had been sent as their guide. "She said she was the Spirit of the Pole Star, and that if they followed where it led them they would reach their home in the far North. The hunters thanked the child, and following her advice they soon reached home. Here they held another council, and decided to call the Pole Star, 'the star which never moves,' by which name it is known among these Indians to this day. "When the hunters died it is said they were taken up to the sky, and we can see them still following the Pole Star. The hunters are supposed to be the stars that form the Little Dipper." "They are smaller than the stars of the Great Dipper," said Harry, "and the dipper is smaller, but I can see it quite well. And what are the stars between the two Dippers?" STORY OF THE DRAGON. "They curve in and out like a great dragon," said Mary; "and two bright stars mark its eyes." "Yes, it does look something like a dragon," said Harry. "What is its name?" "It is called the Dragon, as that was the name given to it by the Grecians long ago. This was supposed to be the dragon that Juno placed as guardian of a tree covered with golden apples. No one dared to touch the tree while the dread monster was there. But a brave man named Hercules was not afraid, and killed the dragon. To reward it for guarding the tree Juno placed it among the stars. "See the two bright stars that mark the eyes of the Dragon, and quite close to it is Hercules, represented in the olden maps as crushing the head of the dragon under his foot. Bootes, who drives the Great Bear around the Pole Star, is very near Hercules. There you can see him, with his hunting dogs." [Illustration: BOOTES AND HIS HUNTING DOGS.] "Where, sister? I cannot see him," said Harry.