| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne: gaping at the spectacle of their sister mounted on a white
bull, not knowing whether to be frightened or to wish the same
good luck for themselves. The gentle and innocent creature (for
who could possibly doubt that he was so?) pranced round among
the children as sportively as a kitten. Europa all the while
looked down upon her brothers, nodding and laughing, but yet
with a sort of stateliness in her rosy little face. As the bull
wheeled about to take another gallop across the meadow, the
child waved her hand, and said, "Good-bye," playfully
pretending that she was now bound on a distant journey, and
might not see her brothers again for nobody could tell how
Tanglewood Tales |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tono Bungay by H. G. Wells: "Helps 'em to talk, George. Always talk best after a little
nourishment. Like throwing a bit of turf down an old geyser."
She surveyed the gathering with a predominant blue eye and helped
herself to tea.
"They keep on going stiff," she said in an undertone.... "I've
done my best."
"It's been a huge success," I said encouragingly.
"That boy has had his legs crossed in that position and hasn't
spoken for ten minutes. Stiffer and stiffer. Brittle. He's
beginning a dry cough--always a bad sign, George.... Walk 'em
about, shall I?--rub their noses with snow?"
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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 The Troll Garden and Selected Stories by Willa Cather: Olaf made a deep sound in his throat. "Farming ain't learned
in a day," he brought out, still looking at the ground.
"Oh, I know! But I pick things up quickly." Nils had not meant
to antagonize his brother, and he did not know now why he was doing
it. "Of course," he went on, "I shouldn't expect to make a big
success, as you fellows have done. But then, I'm not ambitious.
I won't want much. A little land, and some cattle, maybe."
Olaf still stared at the ground, his head down. He wanted to
ask Nils what he had been doing all these years, that he didn't
have a business somewhere he couldn't afford to leave; why he
hadn't more pride than to come back with only a little sole-leather
The Troll Garden and Selected Stories |
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 Agesilaus by Xenophon: troops in battle order and to set up a trophy, while each man donned a
wreath in honour of the god, and the pipers piped. So they busied
themselves, but the Thebans sent a herald asking leave to bury their
dead under cover of a truce. And so it came to pass that a truce was
made, and Agesilaus departed homewards, having chosen, in lieu of
supreme greatness in Asia, to rule, and to be ruled, in obedience to
the laws at home.
[12] Reading, {tous ek ton polemion nekrous}, after Weiske.
It was after this[13] that his attention was drawn to the men of
Argos. They had appropriated Corinth, and were reaping the fruits of
their fields at home. The war to them was a merry jest. Accordingly he
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