| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Old Indian Legends by Zitkala-Sa: bring gladness to your ears? Do you not like my wailing better?"
"No, no!" pouted the boy with some impatience. "I want to
hear the woman's voice! Tell me, mother, why the human voice stirs
all my feelings!"
The toad mother said within her breast, "The human child has
heard and seen his real mother. I cannot keep him longer, I fear.
Oh, no, I cannot give away the pretty creature I have taught to
call me 'mother' all these many winters."
"Mother," went on the child voice, "tell me one thing. Tell
me why my little brothers and sisters are all unlike me."
The big, ugly toad, looking at her pudgy children, said: "The
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Poor and Proud by Oliver Optic: to-morrow."
"But, Katy, you must not do any more to-night. You will certainly
be sick."
"I must make it, mother."
"Your hands are very sore now."
"They are better; and I don't feel tired a bit."
"I will tell you what you may do, if you must make the candy
to-night. When you have got the molasses boiled, you may ask Mrs.
Colvin, the washerwoman, to come in and pull it for you; for you
are not strong enough to do it yourself."
"I should not like to ask her. She's a poor woman, and it would
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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 Confidence by Henry James: the youngest, the easiest and most good-natured of great capitals.
On presenting himself at Gordon's door, Bernard was told that the master
of the house was not at home; he went in, however, to see the mistress.
She was in her drawing-room, alone; she had on her bonnet, as if she
had been going out. She gave him a joyous, demonstrative little welcome;
she was evidently very glad to see him. Bernard had thought it
possible she had "improved," and she was certainly prettier than ever.
He instantly perceived that she was still a chatterbox;
it remained to be seen whether the quality of her discourse were
finer.
"Well, Mr. Longueville," she exclaimed, "where in the world did you
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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 Lay Morals by Robert Louis Stevenson: the face of the pursuing curate. The next Lord's day the
curate was ill, and the kirk closed, but for all his ill
words, Mr. M'Brair abode unmolested in the house of
Montroymont.
HEATHERCAT
CHAPTER III - THE HILL-END OF DRUMLOWE
THIS was a bit of a steep broken hill that overlooked upon
the west a moorish valley, full of ink-black pools. These
presently drained into a burn that made off, with little
noise and no celerity of pace, about the corner of the hill.
On the far side the ground swelled into a bare heath, black
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