| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum: attend. Is it far from here to the Emerald City?"
"Not ve-ry far," answered Tik-tok, "and we have plen-ty of time.
To-night we will stop at the pal-ace of the Tin Wood-man, and
to-mor-row night we will ar-rive at the Em-er-ald Ci-ty."
"Goody!" cried Dorothy. "I'd like to see dear Nick Chopper again.
How's his heart?"
"It's fine," said Billina; "the Tin Woodman says it gets softer and
kindlier every day. He's waiting at his castle to welcome you,
Dorothy; but he couldn't come with us because he's getting polished as
bright as possible for Ozma's party."
"Well then," said Dorothy, "let's start on, and we can talk more as we go."
The Road to Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Hellenica by Xenophon: encamping."
The Athenians, on their side, who felt the power of the Lacedaemonians
to be dangerously close, now that the walls of Corinth had been laid
open, and even apprehended a direct attack upon themselves, determined
to rebuild the portion of the wall severed by Praxitas. Accordingly
they set out with their whole force, including a suite of stonelayers,
masons, and carpenters, and within a few days erected a quite splendid
wall on the side facing Sicyon towards the west,[18] and then
proceeded with more leisure to the completion of the eastern portion.
[18] See Thuc. vi. 98.
To turn once more to the other side: the Lacedaemonians, indignant at
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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 Tono Bungay by H. G. Wells: Directly I came into the room I appreciated the change in outlook
that the achievement of Tono-Bungay had made almost as vividly as
when I saw my uncle's new hat. The furniture of the room struck
upon my eye as almost stately. The chairs and sofa were covered
with chintz which gave it a dim, remote flavour of Bladesover;
the mantel, the cornice, the gas pendant were larger and finer
than the sort of thing I had grown accustomed to in London. And
I was shown in by a real housemaid with real tails to her cap,
and great quantities of reddish hair. There was my aunt too
looking bright and pretty, in a blue-patterned tea-wrap with bows
that seemed to me the quintessence of fashion. She was sitting
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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 Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Bronte Sisters: cannot help him. I did my best to soothe and comfort him.
'"Death is so terrible," he cried, "I cannot bear it! You don't
know, Helen - you can't imagine what it is, because you haven't it
before you! and when I'm buried, you'll return to your old ways and
be as happy as ever, and all the world will go on just as busy and
merry as if I had never been; while I - " He burst into tears.
'"You needn't let that distress you," I said; "we shall all follow
you soon enough."
'"I wish to God I could take you with me now!" he exclaimed: "you
should plead for me."
'"No man can deliver his brother, nor make agreement unto God for
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall |
