| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Droll Stories, V. 1 by Honore de Balzac: threw a big pot of cold water over him, and cried out, "Thieves!
thieves!" in such a manner that the hunchback was forced to run away;
but in his fear he failed to clear the chain stretched across the
bottom of the road and fell into the common sewer, which the sheriff
had not then replaced by a sluice to discharge the mud into the Loire.
In this bath the mechanician expected every moment to breathe his
last, and cursed the fair Tascherette, for her husband's name being
Taschereau, she was so called by way of a little joke by the people of
Tours.
Carandas--for so was named the manufacturer of machines to weave, to
spin, to spool, and to wind the silk--was not sufficiently smitten to
Droll Stories, V. 1 |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by H. P. Lovecraft: but a small stubby old man in a smock who spoke as best he could
in the quaint tones of far Cornwall. And Carter walked up the
shady path between trees as near as possible to England's trees,
and clumbed the terraces among gardens set out as in Queen Anne's
time. At the door, flanked by stone cats in the old way, he was
met by a whiskered butler in suitable livery; and was presently
taken to the library where Kuranes, Lord of Ooth-Nargai and the
Sky around Serannian, sat pensive in a chair by the window looking
on his little seacoast village and wishing that his old nurse
would come in and scold him because he was not ready for that
hateful lawn-party at the vicar's, with the carriage waiting and
The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Witch, et. al by Anton Chekhov: he saw the greed with which the old father and the women ate the
black bread, dipping it in water, he realized he had made a
mistake in coming here, sick, penniless, and with a family, too
-- a great mistake!
"And where is Kiryak?" he asked after they had exchanged
greetings.
"He is in service at the merchant's," answered his father; "a
keeper in the woods. He is not a bad peasant, but too fond of his
glass."
"He is no great help!" said the old woman tearfully. "Our men are
a grievous lot; they bring nothing into the house, but take
|
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 One Basket by Edna Ferber: porch. Snooky, regretful eyes on the toothsome dainties, turned
away aggrieved. The Very Young Wife, her lips set, her eyes
flashing, advanced and seized the shrieking Snooky by one arm and
dragged her away toward home and safety.
Blanche Devine stood there at the fence, holding the saucer in
her hand. The saucer tipped slowly, and the three cookies slipped
off and fell to the grass. Blanche Devine stood staring at them
a moment. Then she turned quickly, went into the house, and shut
the door.
It was about this time we noticed that Blanche Devine was away
much of the time. The little white cottage would be empty for
One Basket |
