| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Spirit of the Border by Zane Grey: returned that morning, and his aggressive, dominating spirit was just what
they needed in an hour like this. He raised the downcast spirits of the
ministers.
"Hold the service? I should say we will," he declared, waving his hands.
"What have we to be afraid of?"
"I do not know," answered Heckewelder, shaking his head doubtfully. "I do not
know what to fear. Girty himself told me he bore us no ill will; but I hardly
believe him. All this silence, this ominous waiting perplexes, bewilders me."
"Gentlemen, our duty at least is plain," said Jim, impressively. "The faith of
these Christian Indians in us is so absolute that they have no fear. They
believe in God, and in us. These threatening savages have failed signally to
The Spirit of the Border |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Venus and Adonis by William Shakespeare: But Lust's effect is tempest after sun; 800
Love's gentle spring doth always fresh remain,
Lust's winter comes ere summer half be done.
Love surfeits not, Lust like a glutton dies;
Love is all truth, Lust full of forged lies. 804
'More I could tell, but more I dare not say;
The text is old, the orator too green.
Therefore, in sadness, now I will away;
My face is full of shame, my heart of teen: 808
Mine ears, that to your wanton talk attended
Do burn themselves for having so offended.'
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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 The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum: the land we shall be carried into the country of the Wicked Witch
of the West, and she will enchant us and make us her slaves."
"And then I should get no brains," said the Scarecrow.
"And I should get no courage," said the Cowardly Lion.
"And I should get no heart," said the Tin Woodman.
"And I should never get back to Kansas," said Dorothy.
"We must certainly get to the Emerald City if we can,"
the Scarecrow continued, and he pushed so hard on his long pole
that it stuck fast in the mud at the bottom of the river. Then,
before he could pull it out again--or let go--the raft was swept
away, and the poor Scarecrow left clinging to the pole in the
The Wizard of Oz |
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 Pellucidar by Edgar Rice Burroughs: fellows, who came roaring across the rough glacier tops
at the first glimpse of us, or stalked us stealthily by scent
when they had not yet seen us.
It is one of the peculiarities of life within Pellucidar
that man is more often the hunted than the hunter.
Myriad are the huge-bellied carnivora of this primitive
world. Never, from birth to death, are those great bellies
sufficiently filled, so always are their mighty owners
prowling about in search of meat.
Terribly armed for battle as they are, man presents
to them in his primal state an easy prey, slow of foot,
Pellucidar |
