| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs: speculating on the strange actions of these peculiar creatures.
Men were indeed more foolish and more cruel than the
beasts of the jungle! How fortunate was he who lived in the
peace and security of the great forest!
Tarzan wondered what the chest they had buried contained.
If they did not want it why did they not merely throw
it into the water? That would have been much easier.
Ah, he thought, but they do want it. They have hidden it
here because they intend returning for it later.
Tarzan dropped to the ground and commenced to examine
the earth about the excavation. He was looking to see if these
Tarzan of the Apes |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln: But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate. . .we cannot consecrate. . .
we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead,
who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power
to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember,
what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.
It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished
work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining
before us. . .that from these honored dead we take increased devotion
to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion. . .
that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. . .
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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 Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart: "You must get up-stairs," he said firmly, "you and Miss Gertrude,
too. This has been a terrible shock. In his own home, too."
I stared at him without comprehension. "Who is it?" I asked with
difficulty. There was a band drawn tight around my throat.
"It is Arnold Armstrong," he said, looking at me oddly, "and he
has been murdered in his father's house."
After a minute I gathered myself together and Mr. Jarvis helped
me into the living-room. Liddy had got Gertrude up-stairs, and
the two strange men from the club stayed with the body. The
reaction from the shock and strain was tremendous: I was
collapsed--and then Mr. Jarvis asked me a question that brought
The Circular Staircase |
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 Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: dey call me a ole pet an' say dat niggers ain' ter be trus'ed! Me
not ter be trus'ed! Why, w'en de ole Cunnel wuz dyin' he say ter
me, 'You, Peter! You look affer mah chillun. Tek keer of yo'
young Miss Pittypat,' he say, ''cause she ain' got no mo' sense dan
a hoppergrass.' An' Ah done tek keer of her good all dese y'ars--"
"Nobody but the Angel Gabriel could have done better," said
Scarlett soothingly. "We just couldn't have lived without you."
"Yas'm, thankee kinely, Ma'm. Ah knows it an' you knows it, but
dem Yankee folks doan know it an' dey doan want ter know it.
Huccome dey come mixin' in our bizness, Miss Scarlett? Dey doan
unnerstan' us Confedruts."
Gone With the Wind |
