| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Chance by Joseph Conrad: should he get into ungovernable fury from disappointment, and
perchance strangle her, it would be as good a way to be done with it
as any.
"You had that thought," I exclaimed in wonder.
With downcast eyes and speaking with an almost painstaking precision
(her very lips, her red lips, seemed to move just enough to be heard
and no more), she said that, yes, the thought came into her head.
This makes one shudder at the mysterious ways girls acquire
knowledge. For this was a thought, wild enough, I admit, but which
could only have come from the depths of that sort of experience
which she had not had, and went far beyond a young girl's possible
Chance |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Enchanted Island of Yew by L. Frank Baum: then sneezed together and wiped their eyes on faded yellow
handkerchiefs, and finally declared they would "stick to her Supreme
Highness through thick and thin!"
"Then go over the wall to the cities, at once, and get together all
the soldiers to fight for me and my cause," commanded the girl.
The twin Ki at once left the room, and the High Ki sat down and began
to ask questions of Prince Marvel and Nerle about the big outside
world from whence they came. Nerle was rather shy and bashful before
the dainty little maiden, whose yellow robe contrasted delightfully
with her pink cheeks and blue eyes and brown flowing locks; but Prince
Marvel did not mind girls at all, so he talked with her freely, and
The Enchanted Island of Yew |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Enchanted Island of Yew by L. Frank Baum: "Will you allow me to object to being killed?" asked the prince.
"Certainly," answered the king, courteously. "I expect you to object.
It is natural. But it will do you no good."
Then Terribus turned to an attendant and commanded:
"Send hither the Fool-Killer."
At this Prince Marvel laughed outright.
"The Fool-Killer!" he cried; "surely your Majesty does me little
credit. Am I, then, a fool?"
"You entered my kingdom uninvited," retorted the king, "and you tell
me to my face I am ugly. Moreover, you laugh when I condemn you to
death. From this I conclude the Fool-Killer is the proper one to
The Enchanted Island of Yew |
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 Maria, or the Wrongs of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft: he perceived that I disliked resistance, he thought my indulgence
and compassion mere selfishness, and never discovered that the fear
of being unjust, or of unnecessarily wounding the feelings of
another, was much more painful to me, than any thing I could have
to endure myself. Perhaps it was pride which made me imagine, that
I could bear what I dreaded to inflict; and that it was often easier
to suffer, than to see the sufferings of others.
"I forgot to mention that, during this persecution, I received
a letter from my uncle, informing me, 'that he only found relief
from continual change of air; and that he intended to return when
the spring was a little more advanced (it was now the middle of
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