| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Juana by Honore de Balzac: affected by it. The glance, moist with joy, which his wife cast upon
her eldest child was a fatal revelation to the husband of the secrets
of a heart hitherto impenetrable. That eldest child was all Juana;
Juana comprehended him; she was sure of his heart, his future; she
adored him, but her ardent love was a secret between herself, her
child, and God. Juan instinctively enjoyed the seeming indifference of
his mother in presence of his father and brother, for she pressed him
to her heart when alone. Francisque was Diard, and Juana's incessant
care and watchfulness betrayed her desire to correct in the son the
vices of the father and to encourage his better qualities. Juana,
unaware that her glance had said too much and that her husband had
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Kwaidan by Lafcadio Hearn: [2] for me: help me by your prayers, I entreat you, so that I may be soon
able to escape from this horrible state of existence"...
No sooner had the hermit uttered this petition than he disappeared; and
the hermitage also disappeared at the same instant. And Muso Kokushi found
himself kneeling alone in the high grass, beside an ancient and moss-grown
tomb of the form called go-rin-ishi, [3] which seemed to be the tomb of a
priest.
MUJINA
On the Akasaka Road, in Tokyo, there is a slope called Kii-no-kuni-zaka,--
which means the Slope of the Province of Kii. I do not know why it is
called the Slope of the Province of Kii. On one side of this slope you see
Kwaidan |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Tao Teh King by Lao-tze: 2. When the mother is found, we know what her children should be.
When one knows that he is his mother's child, and proceeds to guard
(the qualities of) the mother that belong to him, to the end of his
life he will be free from all peril.
3. Let him keep his mouth closed, and shut up the portals (of his
nostrils), and all his life he will be exempt from laborious exertion.
Let him keep his mouth open, and (spend his breath) in the promotion
of his affairs, and all his life there will be no safety for him.
4. The perception of what is small is (the secret of clear-
sightedness; the guarding of what is soft and tender is (the secret
of) strength.
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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 The Red Seal by Natalie Sumner Lincoln: recognition in court of Turnbull disguised as a burglar, at the
same time Rochester learns that Turnbull has been caught after
midnight in the house of his sweetheart -"
"D - mn you!" Kent sprang for the detective's throat. "Cut out
your abominable insinuations. Miss McIntyre shall not be insulted."
"I'm not insulting her," gasped Ferguson, half strangled. "Let go,
Mr. Kent. I'm only telling you what that half crazy partner of
yours, Rochester, was probably thinking in the police court. Let
go, I say."
Clymer aided the detective in freeing himself. "Sit down, Kent,"
he said sternly. "Ferguson meant no offense. Go ahead, man, and
The Red Seal |
