Part 15

"It is the origin of it," said Uncle Henry. "The ancient Romans used to swear 'by Gemini,' and it has slowly been changed into your 'jimini.' Gemini is the Latin word that means 'twins.' We'll find them after we finish up Orion and Taurus, and then you'll see just how Orion keeps protecting them from the bull."

"Hurry up, Uncle Hen!" urged Peter. "I'm dreadful excited!"

Uncle Henry did, and as a result Orion looked like this:

"Ooh! he's got a sword, too!" cried Paul, as Uncle Henry added the three tiny stars below Orion's belt, and drew the outline around them.

"Why didn't he use the sword on Taurus?" asked Peter.

"Because he knew Taurus was only playing in his rough way," Uncle Henry replied.

"Well, we've heard a lot about that bull," said Betty. "Let's find him right away."

Uncle Henry said nothing, but took the chalk from Betty and drew a light line from Orion's right foot to his left shoulder, and continued it upward about the same distance. (20)

"There," he said, "that point is just between the bull's horns and over his right eye. The right eye of Taurus is a very bright star called Aldebaran. Anybody see it?"

"Oh, I do!" said Paul. "What, hasn't Taurus any left eye, Uncle Hen?"

"He has," said Uncle Henry, "but he has it closed just now. He's winking it at Orion as much as to say, 'Oh, I act fierce, but I wouldn't hurt those twins after all. I'm just playing.' Go ahead and put in the stars for the bull's head and horns as fast as you find them, youngsters."

The children did, and when Uncle Henry had showed them the fore legs and shoulder, which contains the beautiful little group of faint stars called the Pleiades, Taurus looked like this:

"Now we want the twins!" cried Betty.

"All right," said Uncle Henry, "follow a line straight up the bull's left horn and a little more than the length of the horn beyond its tip and you will reach Castor, the head of the fainter twin." (21)

Peter and Paul began to show great interest, because they were twins themselves. They demanded that each be allowed to select one of the sky children and finish him completely, without Uncle Henry's assistance.

Paul, having first choice because he was twenty minutes younger than Peter, selected Pollux, and Peter had to be contented with the less bright Castor.

It was not a difficult task for either of the boys, after finding the twin star Castor, for the head of Pollux is quite close beside it and the bodies of both star children stand side by side, with the feet just above Orion's uplifted club.

When Gemini, the twins, were finished, the blackboard looked like this, and since the children's fingers were so stiff with the cold that they could hardly hold the chalk, Uncle Henry moved that the Society of Star-Gazers adjourn until the next evening.

SECOND WINTER EVENING

IN WHICH THE DOGS OF ORION AND GEMINI FOLLOW THEIR MASTERS, PEGASUS ESCAPES AS USUAL, AND ANDROMEDA GETS A NICE SOFT BED OF HAY IN PLACE OF HER HARD OLD ROCK

"Uncle Hen," said Peter, when the Society was assembled round the blackboard, in overcoats and mittens, on the following night, "what is that very bright star that is down behind Orion? It looks sort of important to me."

"Right you are, Pete," answered Uncle Henry, looking where the boy pointed, "it is important. It is the star Sirius, the brightest star in the whole sky. We'll begin with it and find Orion's dog, or Canis Major, which is Latin for 'bigger dog.'"

"That's great!" exclaimed Paul, "you told us last Summer that we'd find him this Christmas-time."

"So I did," agreed Uncle Henry. "Well, you can always find Orion's dog by drawing a line through Orion's belt and extending it behind him until it meets Sirius. (22) You can't miss it because it's so bright. Everybody see it?"

Everybody did.

"Now," went on Uncle Henry, "extend the line that came from Orion's belt, curving it slightly downward after it passes through Sirius, and you will have the dog's backbone. Put in the chalk dots as we find the stars, Pete. Now draw lines upward and downward from Sirius, at right angles to the backbone line and you will have the dog's forelegs and ears. At a point on the backbone about twice the length of the foreleg from Sirius, you will find another fairly bright star, and below it a little way another star. Connect these two and keep on with the line, at right angles to the backbone, and you will find one hind foot. The other is not far in front of it. Yes, that's right, Betty, there's a star in the tip of his tail, too. And the three stars near Sirius make Canis Major's nose."

The children soon finished the skeleton and Uncle Henry took the chalk and put the flesh upon it. Then the dog of Orion looked like this:

"He's a faithful old fellow, isn't he?" said Betty, "to always follow Mr. Orion around like that?"