| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Flower Fables by Louisa May Alcott: on the dewy moss beside the throne, while a murmur of approval went
through the hall, as each elfin wand waved to the little Fairy
who had toiled so well and faithful]y, and could bring so fair a gift
to their good Queen.
Then came forth an Elf bearing a withered leaf, while her many-colored
robe and the purple tulips in her hair told her name and charge.
"Dear Queen," she sadly said, "I would gladly bring as pleasant
tidings as my sister, but, alas! my flowers are proud and wilful,
and when I went to gather my little gift of colored leaves for royal
garments, they bade me bring this withered blossom, and tell you
they would serve no longer one who will not make them Queen over all
Flower Fables |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Heart of the West by O. Henry: "That ear," says Hicks, "is the relic of true friendship."
"An accident?" I persisted.
"No friendship is an accident," said Telemachus; and I was silent.
"The only perfect case of true friendship I ever knew," went on my
host, "was a cordial intent between a Connecticut man and a monkey.
The monkey climbed palms in Barranquilla and threw down cocoanuts to
the man. The man sawed them in two and made dippers, which he sold for
two /reales/ each and bought rum. The monkey drank the milk of the
nuts. Through each being satisfied with his own share of the graft,
they lived like brothers.
"But in the case of human beings, friendship is a transitory art,
Heart of the West |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from A Princess of Parms by Edgar Rice Burroughs: antagonists and I can assure you that they were worthy of
my metal. They had me backed against the wall in no time,
fighting for my life. Slowly I worked my way to a corner
of the room where I could force them to come at me only
one at a time, and thus we fought upward of twenty minutes;
the clanging of steel on steel producing a veritable bedlam
in the little room.
The noise had brought Dejah Thoris to the door of her
apartment, and there she stood throughout the conflict with
Sola at her back peering over her shoulder. Her face was
set and emotionless and I knew that she did not recognize
|
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 Master Key by L. Frank Baum: But so unreal and seemingly impossible was the sight witnessed by the
learned astronomers that they have never ventured to make the incident
public, although long after the boy had darted away into the east they
argued together concerning the marvelous and incomprehensible vision.
Afterward they secretly engrossed the circumstance upon their records,
but resolved never to mention it in public, lest their wisdom and
veracity should be assailed by the skeptical.
Meantime Rob rose to a higher altitude, and sped swiftly across the
great continent. By noon he sighted Chicago, and after a brief
inspection of the place from the air determined to devote at least an
hour to forming the acquaintance of this most wonderful and
The Master Key |
