| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell: "Yes, sir, that is true, and I am grateful for all favors, I am sure;
and anything that I could do to oblige you, or the lady,
I should be proud and happy to do; but I can't give up my Sundays, sir,
indeed I can't. I read that God made man, and he made horses and all
the other beasts, and as soon as He had made them He made a day of rest,
and bade that all should rest one day in seven; and I think, sir,
He must have known what was good for them, and I am sure it is good for me;
I am stronger and healthier altogether, now that I have a day of rest;
the horses are fresh too, and do not wear up nearly so fast.
The six-day drivers all tell me the same, and I have laid by
more money in the savings bank than ever I did before;
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Peter Pan by James M. Barrie: know how a father does till I showed him."
This was grumbling. "We complain of John," cried the twins.
Tootles held up his hand. He was so much the humblest of them,
indeed he was the only humble one, that Wendy was specially
gentle with him.
"I don't suppose," Tootles said diffidently [bashfully or
timidly], "that I could be father.
"No, Tootles."
Once Tootles began, which was not very often, he had a silly
way of going on.
Peter Pan |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Ballads by Robert Louis Stevenson: And glowed and gloomed on the heights; and the heads of the palms were gems,
And far to the rising eve extended the shade of their stems;
And the shadow of Tamatea hovered already at home.
And sudden the sound of one coming and running light as the foam
Struck on his ear; and he turned, and lo! a man on his track,
Girded and armed with an omare, following hard at his back.
At a bound the man was upon him; - and, or ever a word was said,
The loaded end of the omare fell and laid him dead.
II. THE VENGING OF TAMATEA
THUS was Rahero's treason; thus and no further it sped
The king sat safe in his place and a kindly fool was dead.
Ballads |
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 Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum: to be skinned alive!" declared Scraps, and would
have said more on the subject had not the door
opened to admit a little Horner man whom the
Chief introduced as Diksey.
"What's up, Chief?" asked Diksey, winking
nineteen times at the nineteen girls, who demurely
cast down their eyes because their father was
looking.
The Chief told the man that his joke had not
been understood by the dull Hoppers, who had
become so angry that they had declared war. So the
The Patchwork Girl of Oz |
