| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from A Kidnapped Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum: really a bad person, you know; and I believe I accomplish a great deal
of good in the world."
With this he opened a back door that let in a flood of sunshine, and
Santa Claus sniffed the fresh air gratefully.
"I bear no malice," said he to the Daemon, in a gentle voice; "and I
am sure the world would be a dreary place without you. So, good
morning, and a Merry Christmas to you!"
With these words he stepped out to greet the bright morning, and a
moment later he was trudging along, whistling softly to himself, on
his way to his home in the Laughing Valley.
Marching over the snow toward the mountain was a vast army, made up of
A Kidnapped Santa Claus |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini: weeks to come, assuming that he were so fortunate as to recover
ultimately from the effects of an unpleasant accident with which he
had quite unexpectedly had the misfortune to meet that morning.
On Thursday he made an identical announcement with regard to the
Vidame de Blavon. On Friday he told them that he had been delayed
by M. de Troiscantins, and then turning to the members of the Cote
Droit, and lengthening his face to a sympathetic gravity:
"I am glad to inform you, messieurs, that M. des Troiscantins is
in the hands of a very competent surgeon who hopes with care to
restore him to your councils in a few weeks' time."
It was paralyzing, fantastic, unreal; and friend and foe in that
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Youth by Joseph Conrad: roar at you and knock your breath out of you."
He drank again.
"By all that's wonderful, it is the sea, I believe, the sea
itself--or is it youth alone? Who can tell? But you
here--you all had something out of life: money, love--
whatever one gets on shore--and, tell me, wasn't that the
best time, that time when we were young at sea; young
and had nothing, on the sea that gives nothing, except
hard knocks--and sometimes a chance to feel your
strength--that only--what you all regret?"
And we all nodded at him: the man of finance, the man
Youth |
