| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from An Episode Under the Terror by Honore de Balzac: been about the Court.
"Madame," she began with involuntary respect, forgetting that the
title was proscribed.
But the old lady made no answer. She was staring fixedly at the shop
windows as though some dreadful thing had taken shape against the
panes. The pastry-cook came back at that moment, and drew the lady
from her musings, by holding out a little cardboard box wrapped in
blue paper.
"What is the matter, citoyenne?" he asked.
"Nothing, nothing, my friends," she answered, in a gentle voice. She
looked up at the man as she spoke, as if to thank him by a glance; but
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Lost Princess of Oz by L. Frank Baum: two reasons," he explained. "One reason was that I like peaches, and
the other reason was that I didn't know it was enchanted."
"That won't save you from Ugu the Shoemaker," declared the White
Rabbit, and it scurried away before the boy could ask any more
questions.
"Rabbits and birds," he thought, "are timid creatures and seem afraid
of this shoemaker, whoever he may be. If there was another peach half
as good as that other, I'd eat it in spite of a dozen enchantments or
a hundred shoemakers!"
Just then, Scraps came dancing along and saw him sitting at the foot
of the tree. "Oh, here you are!" she said. "Up to your old tricks,
The Lost Princess of Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Lesser Bourgeoisie by Honore de Balzac: abuses--"
"How can I help it, my dear fellow," interrupted Thuillier, sucking in
the compliment; "she is so absolutely devoted to me."
"I admit the weakness, but, I repeat, your sister doesn't fit into
your groove. Well, I say that when a man of the value which you are
good enough to recognize in me, does her the honor to consult her and
devote himself to her as I have done, it can hardly be agreeable to
him to find himself supplanted by a woman who comes from nobody knows
where--and all because of a few trumpery chairs and tables she has
helped her to buy!"
"With women, as you know very well," replied Thuillier, "household
|
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 Gorgias by Plato: difficulty; but his vessels are leaky and unsound, and night and day he is
compelled to be filling them, and if he pauses for a moment, he is in an
agony of pain. Such are their respective lives:--And now would you say
that the life of the intemperate is happier than that of the temperate? Do
I not convince you that the opposite is the truth?
CALLICLES: You do not convince me, Socrates, for the one who has filled
himself has no longer any pleasure left; and this, as I was just now
saying, is the life of a stone: he has neither joy nor sorrow after he is
once filled; but the pleasure depends on the superabundance of the influx.
SOCRATES: But the more you pour in, the greater the waste; and the holes
must be large for the liquid to escape.
|
