| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne: their walk in silence. From time to time, indeed, they raised
great shouts, calling alternately Barbicane and Nicholl, neither
of whom, however, answered their cries. Only the birds,
awakened by the sound, flew past them and disappeared among the
branches, while some frightened deer fled precipitately before them.
For another hour their search was continued. The greater part
of the wood had been explored. There was nothing to reveal the
presence of the combatants. The information of the bushman was
after all doubtful, and Ardan was about to propose their
abandoning this useless pursuit, when all at once Maston stopped.
"Hush!" said he, "there is some one down there!"
From the Earth to the Moon |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Pool of Blood in the Pastor's Study by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: taking seriously. This realisation brought great uneasiness and
grief to the doctor's heart, for he had grown fond of both of the
men on whom terrible suspicion was cast by such an authority.
Muller himself was uneasy, but the gloom that had hung over him for
the past day or two had vanished. The impenetrable darkness that
had surrounded the mystery of the pastor's murder had gotten on his
nerves. He was not accustomed to work so long over a problem without
getting some light on it. But now, since the chance watching of the
spinning top in the street had given him his first inkling of the
trail, he was following it up to a clear issue. The eagerness, the
blissful vibrating of every nerve that he always felt at this stage
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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 Gentle Grafter by O. Henry: handle of his forty-five under his coat.
"What?" says Colonel Rockingham. "Bandits in Perry County, Georgia! I
shall see that the board of immigration and public improvements hears
of this!"
"Be so unfoolhardy as to climb into that buggy," says Caligula, "by
order of the board of perforation and public depravity. This is a
business meeting, and we're anxious to adjourn /sine qua non/."
We drove Colonel Rockingham over the mountain and up the side of it as
far as the buggy could go. Then we tied the horse, and took our
prisoner on foot up to the camp.
"Now, colonel," I says to him, "we're after the ransom, me and my
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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 Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley: light of the pure reason. Eh? young Plato, young Daniel, come
hither to judgment! And yet, though I cannot see through the
bottom of the tankard already, I can see plain enough still to see
this, that Will shall not fight."
"Shall I not, eh? who says that? Mr. Frank, I appeal to you, now;
only hear."
"We are in the judgment-seat," said Frank, settling to the pasty.
"Proceed, appellant."
"Well, I was telling Amyas, that Tom Coffin, of Portledge; I will
stand him no longer."
"Let him be, then," said Amyas; "he could stand very well by
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