| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Mad King by Edgar Rice Burroughs: at once. As he neared the bridge he reduced the speed of
the car to fifteen miles an hour, and set the hand throttle to
hold it there. Still gripping the steering wheel with one
hand, he climbed over the left-hand door to the running
board. As the front wheels of the car ran up onto the bridge
Barney gave the steering wheel a sudden turn to the right,
and jumped.
The car veered toward the wooden handrail, there was a
splintering of stanchions, as, with a crash, the big machine
plunged through them headforemost into the river. Without
waiting to give even a glance at his handiwork Barney Cus-
The Mad King |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: hurt a mite, and everything looks lovely."
Everybody cleared up after that, and said something brilliant,
or tried to, which did just as well, for laughter is ready when
hearts are light. There was no display of gifts, for they were
already in the little house, nor was there an elaborate breakfast,
but a plentiful lunch of cake and fruit, dressed with flowers.
Mr. Laurence and Aunt March shrugged and smiled at one another when
water, lemonade, and coffee were found to be to only sorts of
nectar which the three Hebes carried around. No one said anything,
till Laurie, who insisted on serving the bride, appeared before her,
with a loaded salver in his hand and a puzzled expression on his face.
Little Women |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Princess by Alfred Tennyson: And some were whelmed with missiles of the wall,
And some were pushed with lances from the rock,
And part were drowned within the whirling brook:
O miracle of noble womanhood!'
So sang the gallant glorious chronicle;
And, I all rapt in this, 'Come out,' he said,
'To the Abbey: there is Aunt Elizabeth
And sister Lilia with the rest.' We went
(I kept the book and had my finger in it)
Down through the park: strange was the sight to me;
For all the sloping pasture murmured, sown
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The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne: road and avoid Tomsk.
This new route decided on, Michael must not delay an
instant. Nor did he, but, putting his horse into a steady
gallop, he took the road towards the left bank of the Obi,
which was still forty versts distant. Would there be a
ferry boat there, or should he, finding that the Tartars had
destroyed all the boats, be obliged to swim across?
As to his horse, it was by this time pretty well worn
out, and Michael intended to make it perform this stage
only, and then to exchange it for a fresh one at Kolyvan.
Kolyvan would be like a fresh starting point, for on leav-
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