| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Don Quixote by Miquel de Cervantes: got by heart and they say ran thus-
I'm off to the wars
For the want of pence,
Oh, had I but money
I'd show more sense.
The first to address him was Don Quixote, who said, "You travel very
airily, sir gallant; whither bound, may we ask, if it is your pleasure
to tell us?"
To which the youth replied, "The heat and my poverty are the
reason of my travelling so airily, and it is to the wars that I am
bound."
Don Quixote |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Cousin Betty by Honore de Balzac: had solemnly promised Madame Marneffe.
Crevel, the important and burly, being invited as a matter of course
to the party given for the signing of the marriage-contract, behaved
as though the scene with which this drama opened had never taken
place, as though he had no grievance against the Baron. Celestin
Crevel was quite amiable; he was perhaps rather too much the
ex-perfumer, but as a Major he was beginning to acquire majestic
dignity. He talked of dancing at the wedding.
"Fair lady," said he politely to the Baroness, "people like us know
how to forget. Do not banish me from your home; honor me, pray, by
gracing my house with your presence now and then to meet your
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas: aperture of the tent as Winter re-entered it.
"All is ready, sire," said he.
"For us, also?" inquired Athos.
"Grimaud and Blaisois are holding your horses, ready
saddled."
"In that case," exclaimed Athos, "let us not lose an
instant, but set off."
"Come," added the king.
"Sire," said Aramis, "will not your majesty acquaint some of
your friends of this?"
"Friends!" answered Charles, sadly, "I have but three -- one
Twenty Years After |
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 Magic of Oz by L. Frank Baum: it. He was just about to replace the board when it slipped from his
hand and turned over, and he saw something written on the underside of
it. The light was rather dim, so he took the board to the window and
examined it, and found that the writing described exactly how to
pronounce the magic word Pyrzqxgl, which would transform anyone
into anything instantly, and back again when the word was repeated.
Now, at first, Kiki Aru didn't realize what a wonderful secret he
had discovered; but he thought it might be of use to him and so he
took a piece of paper and made on it an exact copy of the instructions
for pronouncing Pyrzqxgl. Then he folded the paper and put it
in his pocket, and replaced the board in the floor so that no one
The Magic of Oz |
