| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Scarecrow of Oz by L. Frank Baum: chagrin at losing her magic powers. She started away
toward her home, sobbing and bewailing her fate, and not
one who saw her go was at all sorry for her.
Chapter Twenty
Queen Gloria
Next morning the Scarecrow called upon all the
courtiers and the people to assemble in the throne room
of the castle, where there was room enough for all that
were able to attend. They found the straw man seated upon
the velvet cushions of the throne, with the King's
glittering crown still upon his stuffed head. On one side
The Scarecrow of Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from One Basket by Edna Ferber: in the high key of unusual excitement, penetrated even her
listlessness.
"And they say she never screeched or fainted or anything. She
stood there, kind of quiet, looking straight ahead, and then all
of a sudden she ran to her pa----"
"I feel sorry for her. She never did anything to me. She----"
Tessie spoke, her voice penetrating the staccato fragments all
about her and gathering them into a whole. "Say, who's the
heroine of this picture? I come in in the middle of the film, I
guess."
They turned on her with the unlovely eagerness of those who have
One Basket |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas: rudely than he did my father; he was really quite in
despair, repeating over and over again, --
"'Crushed, crushed the bulb! my God, my God! crushed!'
"Then, turning toward me, he asked, 'But it was not the only
one that he had?'"
"Did he ask that?" inquired Cornelius, with some anxiety.
"'You think it was not the only one?' said my father. 'Very
well, we shall search for the others.'
"'You will search for the others?' cried Jacob, taking my
father by the collar; but he immediately loosed him. Then,
turning towards me, he continued, asking 'And what did that
The Black Tulip |
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 Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens: turning abruptly to Mr Willet, said,
'You keep strange servants, John.'
'Strange enough to look at, sir, certainly,' answered the host;
'but out of doors; for horses, dogs, and the likes of that; there
an't a better man in England than is that Maypole Hugh yonder. He
an't fit for indoors,' added Mr Willet, with the confidential air
of a man who felt his own superior nature. 'I do that; but if that
chap had only a little imagination, sir--'
'He's an active fellow now, I dare swear,' said Mr Chester, in a
musing tone, which seemed to suggest that he would have said the
same had there been nobody to hear him.
Barnaby Rudge |
