| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum: "I never killed anything, willingly," she sobbed. "Even if I
wanted to, how could I kill the Wicked Witch? If you, who are Great
and Terrible, cannot kill her yourself, how do you expect me to do it?"
"I do not know," said the Head; "but that is my answer, and
until the Wicked Witch dies you will not see your uncle and aunt
again. Remember that the Witch is Wicked--tremendously Wicked
-and ought to be killed. Now go, and do not ask to see me again
until you have done your task."
Sorrowfully Dorothy left the Throne Room and went back where
the Lion and the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman were waiting to
hear what Oz had said to her. "There is no hope for me," she
The Wizard of Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Symposium by Xenophon: remain, of all the wives that are, indeed that ever will be, I
imagine, the most shrewish?
[16] See Cobet, "Pros. Xen." p. 56; "Mem." II. ii. 1; Aul. Gell. "N.
A." i. 17.
[17] Lit. "dealing with her," "finding in her"; {khro} corresponding
to {khresthai} in Socrates' remarks.
Well now, I will tell you (he answered). I follow the example of the
rider who wishes to become an expert horseman: "None of your soft-
mouthed, docile animals for me," he says; "the horse for me to own
must show some spirit":[18] in the belief, no doubt, if he can manage
such an animal, it will be easy enough to deal with every other horse
The Symposium |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Moran of the Lady Letty by Frank Norris: hailing distance of the bark, and had hove her to. Kitchell
ordered Wilbur to return to the schooner and bring over a couple
of axes.
"We'll have to knock holes all through the house, and break in the
skylights and let the gas escape before we can do anything. Take
the kid over and give him whiskey; then come along back and bear a
hand."
Wilbur had considerable difficulty in getting into the dory from
the deck of the plunging derelict with his dazed and almost
helpless charge. Even as he slid down the rope into the little
boat and helped the girl to follow, he was aware of two dull,
|
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 Tattine by Ruth Ogden [Mrs. Charles W. Ide]: farms within tin miles of us."
And so, nothing loth, the little party filed out of the house, and after all
hands had assisted in unharnessing Barney and tying him into his stall, with a
manger-full of sweet, crisp hay for his dinner, they followed Mrs. Kirk's lead
to the little pond at the foot of the apple-orchard. And then what did they
see! but a truly beautiful great flock of white geese. Some were sailing
gracefully around the pond, some were pluming their snowy breasts on the shore
beside it, and three, the finest of them all, and each with a bow of ribbon
tied round its long neck, were confined within a little picket-fence apart
from the others.
"Why, what beauties, Mrs. Kirk!" exclaimed Tattine, the minute she spied them,
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