| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Montezuma's Daughter by H. Rider Haggard: the name of the Spaniards was already known to the Indians, who
looked on them with superstitious fear, for in the year previous to
my being cast away, the hidalgo Hernandez de Cordova had visited
the coast of Yucatan and fought several battles with the natives,
and earlier in the same year of my arrival, Juan de Grigalva had
come to this very river of Tobasco. Thus it came about that I was
set down as one of this strange new nation of Teules, as the
Indians named the Spaniards, and therefore as an enemy for whose
blood the gods were thirsting.
I awoke at dawn much refreshed with sleep, and having washed and
clothed myself in the linen robes that were provided for me, I came
Montezuma's Daughter |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Fantastic Fables by Ambrose Bierce: between the two the Hawk was calamitously defeated.
The Wolf and the Shepherds
A WOLF passing a Shepherd's hut looked in and saw the shepherds
dining.
"Come in," said one of them, ironically, "and partake of your
favourite dish, a haunch of mutton."
"Thank you," said the Wolf, moving away, "but you must excuse me; I
have just had a saddle of shepherd."
The Goose and the Swan
A CERTAIN rich man reared a Goose and a Swan, the one for his
table, the other because she was reputed a good singer. One night
Fantastic Fables |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Tanach: 2_Kings 8: 16 And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being the king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.
2_Kings 8: 17 Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
2_Kings 8: 18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab; for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife; and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.
2_Kings 8: 19 Howbeit the LORD would not destroy Judah, for David His servant's sake, as He promised him to give unto him a lamp and to his children alway.
2_Kings 8: 20 In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.
2_Kings 8: 21 Then Joram passed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him; and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites that compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots; and the people fled to their tents.
2_Kings 8: 22 Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, unto this day. Then did Libnah revolt at the same time.
2_Kings 8: 23 And the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
2_Kings 8: 24 And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.
2_Kings 8: 25 In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign.
The Tanach |
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 Mirror of the Sea by Joseph Conrad: He seemed to choke, tugged at the throat button of the cloak,
jumped up open-mouthed as if to hurl curses and denunciation, but
instantly mastered himself, and, wrapping up the cloak closer about
him, sat down on the deck again as quiet as ever.
"Yes, it must be the work of some scoundrel ashore," I observed.
He pulled the edge of the hood well forward over his brow before he
muttered:
"A scoundrel. . . . Yes. . . . It's evident."
"Well," I said, "they can't get us, that's clear."
"No," he assented quietly, "they cannot."
We shaved the Cape very close to avoid an adverse current. On the
The Mirror of the Sea |
