| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Plain Tales from the Hills by Rudyard Kipling: corpse was dumped into the grave and the men began throwing down
armfuls of roses to cover it, the Farrier-Sergeant ripped out an
oath and said aloud:--"Why, it ain't the Drum-Horse any more than
it's me!" The Troop-Sergeant-Majors asked him whether he had left
his head in the Canteen. The Farrier-Sergeant said that he knew the
Drum-Horse's feet as well as he knew his own; but he was silenced
when he saw the regimental number burnt in on the poor stiff,
upturned near-fore.
Thus was the Drum-Horse of the White Hussars buried; the Farrier-
Sergeant grumbling. The sacking that covered the corpse was smeared
in places with black paint; and the Farrier-Sergeant drew attention
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Beast in the Jungle by Henry James: wasn't a thing of a monstrous order; not a fate rare and
distinguished; not a stroke of fortune that overwhelmed and
immortalised; it had only the stamp of the common doom. But poor
Marcher at this hour judged the common doom sufficient. It would
serve his turn, and even as the consummation of infinite waiting he
would bend his pride to accept it. He sat down on a bench in the
twilight. He hadn't been a fool. Something had BEEN, as she had
said, to come. Before he rose indeed it had quite struck him that
the final fact really matched with the long avenue through which he
had had to reach it. As sharing his suspense and as giving herself
all, giving her life, to bring it to an end, she had come with him
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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 The Magic of Oz by L. Frank Baum: "Remain here for a few minutes and I'll soon be back," said Kiki,
and walking swiftly away, he left the Nome standing in the grove.
Ruggedo wondered where he had gone, but stood quietly in his place
until, all of a sudden, his form changed to that of a great eagle, and
he uttered a piercing cry of astonishment and flapped his wings in a
sort of panic. At once his eagle cry was answered from beyond the
grove, and another eagle, even larger and more powerful than the
transformed Ruggedo, came sailing through the trees and alighted
beside him.
"Now we are ready for the start," said the voice of Kiki, coming
from the eagle.
The Magic of Oz |
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 The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin: in a more open part of the woods than any it had pass'd, attack'd
its advanced guard by a heavy fire from behind trees and bushes,
which was the first intelligence the general had of an enemy's
being near him. This guard being disordered, the general hurried
the troops up to their assistance, which was done in great confusion,
thro' waggons, baggage, and cattle; and presently the fire came upon
their flank: the officers, being on horseback, were more easily
distinguish'd, pick'd out as marks, and fell very fast; and the soldiers
were crowded together in a huddle, having or hearing no orders,
and standing to be shot at till two-thirds of them were killed;
and then, being seiz'd with a panick, the whole fled with precipitation.
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin |
