| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Case of The Lamp That Went Out by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: necessary that Muller should talk with him in the hope of
discovering something more definite.
Knoll lay asleep on his cot as the detective and the warder entered
the cell. Muller motioned the attendant to leave him alone with
the prisoner and he stood beside the cot looking down at the man.
The face on the hard pillow was not a very pleasant one to look at.
The skin was roughened and swollen and had that brown-purple tinge
which comes from being constantly in the open air, and from habitual
drinking. The weather-beaten look may be seen often in the faces of
men whose honest work keeps them out of doors; but this man had not
earned his colouring honestly, for he was one of the sort who worked
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Chance by Joseph Conrad: alone close to the girl who was affected exactly as if she had seen
Medusa's head with serpentine locks set mysteriously on the
shoulders of that familiar person, in that brown dress, under that
hat she knew so well. It made her lose all her hold on reality.
She told Mrs. Fyne: "I didn't know where I was. I didn't even know
that I was frightened. If she had told me it was a joke I would
have laughed. If she had told me to put on my hat and go out with
her I would have gone to put on my hat and gone out with her and
never said a single word; I should have been convinced I had been
mad for a minute or so, and I would have worried myself to death
rather than breathe a hint of it to her or anyone. But the wretch
Chance |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Scenes from a Courtesan's Life by Honore de Balzac: What can you have to say to such hack!--Poor Madame, how she cried
when she got into the carriage. 'Well, it has to be done!' cried she.
'I left that poor dear boy asleep,' said she, wiping away her tears;
'Europe, if he had looked at me or spoken my name, I should have
stayed--I could but have died with him.'-- I tell you, sir, I am so
fond of madame, that I did not show her the person who has taken her
place; some waiting maids would have broken her heart by doing so."
"And is the stranger there?"
"Well, sir, she came in the chaise that took away madame, and I hid
her in my room in obedience to my instructions----"
"Is she nice-looking?"
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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 Fantastic Fables by Ambrose Bierce: The Tyrant Frog
A SNAKE swallowing a frog head-first was approached by a Naturalist
with a stick.
"Ah, my deliverer," said the Snake as well as he could, "you have
arrived just in time; this reptile, you see, is pitching into me
without provocation."
"Sir," replied the Naturalist, "I need a snakeskin for my
collection, but if you had not explained I should not have
interrupted you, for I thought you were at dinner."
The Eligible Son-in-Law
A TRULY Pious Person who conducted a savings bank and lent money to
Fantastic Fables |
