| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Betty Zane by Zane Grey: the axe, wielded by the giant hunter, descended on his head, cracking his
skull as if it were an eggshell. The savage sank to the earth without even a
moan. Another savage naked and powerful, slipped in. He had to stoop to get
through. He raised himself, and seeing Wetzel, he tried to dodge the lightning
sweep of the axe. It missed his head, at which it had been aimed, but struck
just over the shoulders, and buried itself in flesh and bone. The Indian
uttered an agonizing yell which ended in a choking, gurgling sound as the
blood spurted from his throat. Wetzel pulled the weapon from the body of his
victim, and with the same motion he swung it around. This time the blunt end
met the next Indian's head with a thud like that made by the butcher when he
strikes the bullock to the ground. The Indian's rifle dropped, his tomahawk
Betty Zane |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne: air in screaming flocks.
The way, however, was clearly traceable. Now it would
lie straight between the dense thicket of marsh-plants; again
it would follow the winding shores of vast pools, some of
which, several versts in length and breadth, deserve the
name of lakes. In other localities the stagnant waters
through which the road lay had been avoided, not by bridges,
but by tottering platforms ballasted with thick layers of
clay, whose joists shook like a too weak plank thrown across
an abyss. Some of these platforms extended over three
hundred feet, and travelers by tarantass, when crossing
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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 Sanitary and Social Lectures by Charles Kingsley: magnanimity, the true royalty of that spirit, by which the Son of
man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give
His life a ransom for many.
Surely that is woman's calling--to teach man: and to teach him
what? To teach him, after all, that his calling is the same as
hers, if he will but see the things which belong to his peace. To
temper his fiercer, coarser, more self-assertive nature, by the
contact of her gentleness, purity, self-sacrifice. To make him
see that not by blare of trumpets, not by noise, wrath, greed,
ambition, intrigue, puffery, is good and lasting work to be done
on earth: but by wise self-distrust, by silent labour, by lofty
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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 Stories From the Old Attic by Robert Harris: him into confidence on affairs of state, but began to share power
with him, knowing that not many more years would pass before there
would necessarily be a new king. Many of the king's decisions were
now submitted to the prince before they were made, and the prince,
to his credit, frequently moderated the king's stern and often
cruel decrees.
By this time, the queen was in poor health, troubled by constant
pain and a lingering cough. Everyone at the court eventually
recognized that she was about to die. For several days the queen
debated with herself whether or not to let the secret of the prince
die with her, but at last, showing the heritage of her daughter's
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