I was listening to some dog stories, which reminded me of old Laelaps. He was some dog — destined to catch anything he chased.
Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, gave the dog and a dart that was destined to always hit its target to Minos, that guy who had something to do with Minoan Civilization.
But incredibly, this priceless dog changed hands — he was a great gift to a beloved.
The goddess was grieved that her gift got passed around. She took revenge on those who didn’t appreciate the gravity of having a good dog.
The last owner, Kephalos, used Laelaps to help Amphytrion, ruler of Thebes, to deal with the Teumessian Vixen, also known as the Cadmean Fox. The fox had been sent by some god or another to punish the countryside. The fox was taking a child a month.
What happens when a dog who is destined to catch everything it chases meets a fox who is destined never to get caught?
It’s a contradiction, and if you’re interested in logic the story is interesting. But Zeus was no logician and was not known for his patience or thoughtfulness. Enraged at a problem he couldn’t solve, he turned both dog and fox into stone and tossed their images to the stars.
If you know your constellations, Canis Major is the dog, and Canis Minor is the fox.
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