| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Bureaucracy by Honore de Balzac: The various heads of divisions and bureaus usually encountered each
other in the courtyards at this hour and exchanged opinions on the
events of the day. On this occasion they departed by twos and threes,
most of them agreeing in favor of Rabourdin; while the old stagers,
like Monsieur Clergeot, shook their heads and said, "Habent sua sidera
lites." Saillard and Baudoyer were politely avoided, for nobody knew
what to say to them about La Billardiere's death, it being fully
understood that Baudoyer wanted the place, though it was certainly not
due to him.
When Saillard and his son-in-law had gone a certain distance from the
ministry the former broke silence and said: "Things look badly for
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Aesop's Fables by Aesop: The Miser and His Gold
Once upon a time there was a Miser who used to hide his gold
at the foot of a tree in his garden; but every week he used to go
and dig it up and gloat over his gains. A robber, who had noticed
this, went and dug up the gold and decamped with it. When the
Miser next came to gloat over his treasures, he found nothing but
the empty hole. He tore his hair, and raised such an outcry that
all the neighbours came around him, and he told them how he used
to come and visit his gold. "Did you ever take any of it out?"
asked one of them.
"Nay," said he, "I only came to look at it."
Aesop's Fables |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith: like each other, as you say they do--
HARDCASTLE. IF, man! I tell you they DO like each other. My
daughter as good as told me so.
SIR CHARLES. But girls are apt to flatter themselves, you know.
HARDCASTLE. I saw him grasp her hand in the warmest manner myself; and
here he comes to put you out of your IFS, I warrant him.
Enter MARLOW.
MARLOW. I come, sir, once more, to ask pardon for my strange conduct.
I can scarce reflect on my insolence without confusion.
HARDCASTLE. Tut, boy, a trifle! You take it too gravely. An hour or
two's laughing with my daughter will set all to rights again. She'll
She Stoops to Conquer |
