| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Life of the Spider by J. Henri Fabre: stand on one of the halves, at the spot which was the centre of the
original orb; but, as her legs find no footing on one side, she
soon realizes that the snare is defective. Thereupon, two threads
are stretched across the breach, two threads, no more; the legs
that lacked a foothold spread across them; and henceforth the
Epeira moves no more, devoting her attention to the incidents of
the chase.
When I saw those two threads laid, joining the edges of the rent, I
began to hope that I was to witness a mending-process:
'The Spider,' said I to myself, 'will increase the number of those
cross-threads from end to end of the breach; and, though the added
The Life of the Spider |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Inaugural Address by John F. Kennedy: and to which we are committed today. . .at home and around the world.
Let every nation know. . .whether it wishes us well or ill. . .
that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship,
support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and
the success of liberty. This much we pledge. . .and more.
To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share:
we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends. United. . .there is
little we cannot do in a host of co-operative ventures.
Divided. . .there is little we can do. . .for we dare not meet
a powerful challenge, at odds, and split asunder.
To those new states whom we welcome to the ranks of the free:
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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 In a German Pension by Katherine Mansfield: "The sister of the Baroness has assured me she is going into a convent," he
said. (That made the student from Bonn sit up.) "I have written these few
lines last night from my window in the sweet night air--"
"Oh, your DELICATE chest," commented the Frau Doktor.
He fixed a stony eye on her, and she blushed.
"I have written these lines:
"'Ah, will you to a convent fly,
So young, so fresh, so fair?
Spring like a doe upon the fields
And find your beauty there.'"
Nine verses equally lovely commanded her to equally violent action. I am
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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 Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum: Wheel-ers claim the trees for their own, and pick the lunch-eons and
din-ners to eat them-selves. But they be-long to the King, and you will
find the roy-al "E" stamped up-on the bot-tom of ev-er-y din-ner pail."
Dorothy turned the pail over, and at once discovered the royal mark
upon it, as Tiktok had said.
"Are the Wheelers the only folks living in the Land of Ev?" enquired
the girl.
"No; they on-ly in-hab-it a small por-tion of it just back of the
woods," replied the machine. "But they have al-ways been
mis-chiev-ous and im-per-ti-nent, and my old mas-ter, King Ev-ol-do,
used to car-ry a whip with him, when he walked out, to keep the
Ozma of Oz |
