| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Lost Princess of Oz by L. Frank Baum: world. But--ah me!--what a terrible fate will now be mine. Even
Cayke the Cookie Cook will soon discover that my knowledge is no
greater than her own, for having bathed in the enchanted water of the
Truth Pond, I can no longer deceive her or tell a lie."
More humbled than he had been for many years, the Frogman went back to
the grove where he had left Cayke and found the woman now awake and
washing her face in a tiny brook. "Where has Your Honor been?" she
asked.
"To a farmhouse to ask for something to eat," said he, "but the woman
refused me."
"How dreadful!" she exclaimed. "But never mind, there are other
The Lost Princess of Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum: And a ha, ha, ha!
And a ho, ho! ha, ha, hee!
Now away we go
O'er the frozen snow,
As merry as we can be!"
Jack Frost heard him and came racing up with his nippers, but when he
saw it was Claus he laughed and turned away again.
The mother owls heard him as he passed near a wood and stuck their
heads out of the hollow places in the tree-trunks; but when they saw
who it was they whispered to the owlets nestling near them that it was
only Santa Claus carrying toys to the children. It is strange how
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Laches by Plato: SOCRATES: Then courage is not the science which is concerned with the
fearful and hopeful, for they are future only; courage, like the other
sciences, is concerned not only with good and evil of the future, but of
the present and past, and of any time?
NICIAS: That, as I suppose, is true.
SOCRATES: Then the answer which you have given, Nicias, includes only a
third part of courage; but our question extended to the whole nature of
courage: and according to your view, that is, according to your present
view, courage is not only the knowledge of the hopeful and the fearful, but
seems to include nearly every good and evil without reference to time.
What do you say to that alteration in your statement?
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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 The Deputy of Arcis by Honore de Balzac: well; there is no doubt that my candidacy has gained much ground.
Therefore, I say, a truce to your gratitude; do you not see how much I
owe to you?
X
DORLANGE TO MARIE-GASTON
Paris, April, 1839.
Dear Friend,--For better or for worse, I continue my candidacy without
a constituency to elect me. This surprises my friends and worries me,
for it is only a few weeks now to the general election; and if it
happens that all this mysterious "preparation" comes to nought, a
pretty figure I shall cut in the caricatures of Monsieur Bixiou, of
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