| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley: in the black peat pools, among the old pine-stems, and puts his
head out at night to snap at the cattle as they come down to drink?
- But you must not believe all that Dennis tells you, mind; for if
you ask him:
"Is there a salmon here, do you think, Dennis?"
"Is it salmon, thin, your honour manes? Salmon? Cartloads it is
of thim, thin, an' ridgmens, shouldthering ache out of water, av'
ye'd but the luck to see thim."
Then you fish the pool all over, and never get a rise.
"But there can't be a salmon here, Dennis! and, if you'll but
think, if one had come up last tide, he'd be gone to the higher
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Young Forester by Zane Grey: flattened himself, finally worked through, and disappeared.
A sudden quiet fell upon his departure.
"Hands up!"
Jim Williams's voice! It was strange to see Herky and Bud flash up their
arms without turning. But I wheeled quickly. Bill, too, had his hands high
in the air.
In the sunlight of the doorway stood Jim Williams. Low down, carelessly, it
seemed, he held two long revolvers. He looked the same easy, slow Texan I
remembered. But the smile was not now in his eyes, and his lips were set in
a thin, hard line.
XVI. THE FOREST'S GREATEST FOE
The Young Forester |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum: merely a small girl in a gingham dress, a copper man that would only
go when wound up, and a yellow hen that was sitting contentedly in
Langwidere's best work-basket, where there was a china egg used for
darning stockings. (It may surprise you to learn that a princess ever
does such a common thing as darn stockings. But, if you will stop to
think, you will realize that a princess is sure to wear holes in her
stockings, the same as other people; only it isn't considered quite
polite to mention the matter.)
"Oh!" said Langwidere, slightly lifting the nose of No. 17. "I
thought some one of importance had called."
"Then you were right," declared Dorothy. "I'm a good deal of
Ozma of Oz |
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 Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: happened upon him in the great reception corridor of the palace
as The Warlord was hurrying out to arrange for the dispatch of
ships in search of his daughter.
Gahan read the concern upon the face of The Warlord. "Forgive me
if I intrude, John Carter," he said. "I but came to ask the
indulgence of another day since it would be fool-hardy to attempt
to navigate a ship in such a storm."
"Remain, Gahan, a welcome guest until you choose to leave us,"
replied The Warlord; "but you must forgive any seeming
inattention upon the part of Helium until my daughter is restored
to us."
The Chessmen of Mars |
