Callisto

 

Time for another Greek tale:

Callisto

as narrated & illustrated by E., age 10

Callisto

Callisto was a really beautiful girl. She had a son, and everyone who knew her would stare at her beauty. But Juno, who was a goddess, was jealous of her (Juno was not so pretty herself).

 

Juno Turning Callisto into a Bear

So Juno turned Callisto into a bear and said, "I have taken away that beauty with which you have captivated my husband!" and she left.  Callisto, although she was a bear, was afraid of the other bears. She hated to sleep in caves like the other bears.  One day, her son was out walking, and saw his mother, but he thought she was just another bear.  He almost shot her!  Callisto almost hugged him, but she stopped herself!

Callisto and Her Son are put into the Sky

Just then, Jupiter, Juno's husband, grabbed Callisto and her son and put them into the sky as the Big bear and the Little bear.  Juno was so mad that Callisto had been honored that she ran to the ocean, to ask Oceanus and Tethys not to let the two constellations go into the ocean. Being in the sky was an honor, but being in the ocean cleaned them, and Juno did not let them be cleaned.  So Callisto and her son whirl around at the top of the sky, and never sink into the ocean.