| 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: her letter she glanced at the hotel door quickly, and moved off a
few steps to a position where she could watch the entrance without
being seen. I followed her. At the junction of the two
thoroughfares she stopped in the thin traffic of the broad pavement
and turned to me with an air of challenge. "And so you know."
I told her that I had not seen the letter. I had only heard of it.
She was a little impatient. "I mean all about me."
Yes. I knew all about her. The distress of Mr. and Mrs. Fyne--
especially of Mrs. Fyne--was so great that they would have shared it
with anybody almost--not belonging to their circle of friends. I
happened to be at hand--that was all.
 Chance |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum: dreadfully nervous to see that big hammer pounding so near my head.
One blow would crush me into a door-mat."
"The ir-on gi-ant is a fine fel-low," said Tiktok, "and works as
stead-i-ly as a clock. He was made for the Nome King by Smith &
Tin-ker, who made me, and his du-ty is to keep folks from find-ing the
un-der-ground pal-ace. Is he not a great work of art?"
"Can he think, and speak, as you do?" asked Ozma, regarding the giant
with wondering eyes.
"No," replied the machine; "he is on-ly made to pound the road, and
has no think-ing or speak-ing at-tach-ment. But he pounds ve-ry well,
I think."
 Ozma of Oz |