| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: that there was time left to endeavour to persuade the women to be
baptized, or to profess the name of Christ, whom they had, he
doubted, heard nothing of, and without which they could not be
baptized. He told them he doubted they were but indifferent
Christians themselves; that they had but little knowledge of God or
of His ways, and, therefore, he could not expect that they had said
much to their wives on that head yet; but that unless they would
promise him to use their endeavours with their wives to persuade
them to become Christians, and would, as well as they could,
instruct them in the knowledge and belief of God that made them,
and to worship Jesus Christ that redeemed them, he could not marry
Robinson Crusoe |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Magic of Oz by L. Frank Baum: of Transformation. Perhaps his companion, who is at present this
walnut, was the real magician, although I seem to remember that it was
this boy in the beast's form who whispered the Magic Word into the
hollow tree, where I overheard it."
"Well, we will soon know who the other is," suggested Ozma. "He may
prove to be another Munchkin boy."
The Wizard placed the walnut near the fountain and said, as slowly
and solemnly as before:
"I want you to resume your natural form, and to be very
thirsty--Pyrzqxgl!"
Then the walnut disappeared and Ruggedo the Nome stood in its place.
The Magic of Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad: He steered with no end of a swagger while you were by; but if he lost
sight of you, he became instantly the prey of an abject funk,
and would let that cripple of a steamboat get the upper hand of him
in a minute.
"I was looking down at the sounding-pole, and feeling
much annoyed to see at each try a little more of it stick
out of that river, when I saw my poleman give up on
the business suddenly, and stretch himself flat on the deck,
without even taking the trouble to haul his pole in.
He kept hold on it though, and it trailed in the water.
At the same time the fireman, whom I could also see below me,
Heart of Darkness |
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 Tom Sawyer, Detective by Mark Twain: be heroes if we could come out and tell all we knowed;
but after all, it was still more heroic to keep mum,
there warn't two boys in a million could do it.
That was Tom Sawyer's idea about it, and reckoned there
warn't anybody could better it.
CHAPTER IX. FINDING OF JUBITER DUNLAP
IN the next two or three days Dummy he got to be powerful
popular. He went associating around with the neighbors,
and they made much of him, and was proud to have such a
rattling curiosity among them. They had him to breakfast,
they had him to dinner, they had him to supper; they kept
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