| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The King of the Golden River by John Ruskin: "It must be the wind," said Gluck; "nobody else would
venture to knock double knocks at our door."
No, it wasn't the wind; there it came again very hard, and,
what was particularly astounding, the knocker seemed to be in a
hurry and not to be in the least afraid of the consequences. Gluck
went to the window, opened it, and put his head out to see who it was.
It was the most extraordinary-looking little gentleman he had
ever seen in his life. He had a very large nose, slightly brass-
colored; his cheeks were very round and very red, and might have
warranted a supposition that he had been blowing a refractory fire
for the last eight-and-forty hours; his eyes twinkled merrily
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The People That Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs: The fellow laughed. "Do it," he cried derisively, "and then it
may be that I shall believe the balance of your strange story."
"But I do not wish to kill any of them," I replied. "Why should I?"
"Why not?" he insisted. "They would have killed you when they
had you prisoner. They would kill you now if they could get
their hands on you, and they would eat you into the bargain.
But I know why you do not try it--it is because you have spoken
lies; your weapon will not kill at a great distance. It is
only a queerly wrought club. For all I know, you are nothing
more than a lowly Bo-lu."
"Why should you wish me to kill your own people?" I asked.
 The People That Time Forgot |