| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Magic of Oz by L. Frank Baum: and stroked his long pointed beard and thought some more.
"Ah, now I have the idea!" he declared. "I suppose you can
transform us into beasts as well as birds?"
"Of course."
"And can you make a bird a beast, and a beast a bird again, without
taking a human form in between?"
"Certainly," said Kiki. "I can transform myself or others into
anything that can talk. There's a magic word that must be spoken in
connection with the transformations, and as beasts and birds and
dragons and fishes can talk in Oz, we may become any of these we
desire to. However, if I transformed myself into a tree, I would
The Magic of Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley: arquebuse; for he had dreamed last night (he said) that he was set
upon by Spaniards, and was sure that the dream would come true; and
moreover, that he did not very much care if they did, or if he ever
got back alive; "for it was better to die than be made an ape, and
a scarecrow, and laughed at by the men, and badgered with Ramus his
logic, and Plato his dialectical devilries, to confess himself a
Manichee, and, for aught he knew, a turbaned Turk, or Hebrew Jew,"
and so flung into the boat like a man desperate.
So they went ashore, after Amyas had given strict commands against
letting off firearms, for fear of alarming the Spaniards. There
they washed their clothes, and stretched their legs with great joy,
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy: banking companies." Stepan Arkadyevitch was familiar by now with
the title of the post he coveted, and he brought it out rapidly
without mistake.
Alexey Alexandrovitch questioned him as to the duties of this new
committee, and pondered. He was considering whether the new
committee would not be acting in some way contrary to the views
he had been advocating. But as the influence of the new committee
was of a very complex nature, and his views were of very wide
application, he could not decide this straight off, and taking
off his pince-nez, he said:
"Of course, I can mention it to him; but what is your reason
Anna Karenina |
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 The Sportsman by Xenophon: [7] Or, "off the wood."
[8] It seems they were not trained to restrain themselves.
[9] Or, "set himself to observe from some higher place." Cf. Aristoph.
"Wasps," 361, {nun de xun oplois} | {andres oplitai diataxamenoi}
| {kata tas diodous skopiorountai}. Philostr. 784.
[10] See Pollux, v. 77; Aristot. "H. A." ix. 5. Mr. Scrope ap.
Lydekker, "R. N. H." ii. p. 346, states that the dam of the red
deer makes her offspring "lie down by a pressure of her nose,"
etc.
[11] Lit. "when he sees these things."
[12] Or, "the features of the scene"; "the topography."
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