| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Old Indian Legends by Zitkala-Sa: The big, ugly toad, looking at her pudgy children, said: "The
eldest is always best."
This reply quieted the boy for a while. Very closely watched
the old toad mother her stolen human son. When by chance he
started off alone, she shoved out one of her own children after
him, saying: "Do not come back without your big brother."
Thus the wild boy with the long, loose hair sits every day on
a marshy island hid among the tall reeds. But he is not alone.
Always at his feet hops a little toad brother. One day an Indian
hunter, wading in the deep waters, spied the boy. He had heard
of the baby stolen long ago.
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley: made his bore much too small; and the sand out of the Thanet beds
"blew up" into the bore, and closed it. The poor manufacturer
spent hundreds of pounds more in trying to get the sand out, but
in vain; and he had at last to make a fresh and much larger well
by the side of the old one, bewailing the day when he listened to
the well-sinker and not to the geologist, and so threw away more
than a thousand pounds. And there is an answer to what you asked
on board the yacht--What use was there in learning little matters
of natural history and science, which seemed of no use at all?
And now, look out again. Do you see any change in the country?
What?
|
