| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift: preserving of mine eyes, and consequently my liberty, to my own
great rashness and want of experience; because, if I had then
known the nature of princes and ministers, which I have since
observed in many other courts, and their methods of treating
criminals less obnoxious than myself, I should, with great
alacrity and readiness, have submitted to so easy a punishment.
But hurried on by the precipitancy of youth, and having his
imperial majesty's license to pay my attendance upon the emperor
of Blefuscu, I took this opportunity, before the three days were
elapsed, to send a letter to my friend the secretary, signifying
my resolution of setting out that morning for Blefuscu, pursuant
Gulliver's Travels |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Familiar Studies of Men and Books by Robert Louis Stevenson: "where Mrs. Hely and I did use to walk and talk, with whom I
had the first sentiments of love and pleasure in a woman's
company, discourse and taking her by the hand, she being a
pretty woman." He goes about weighing up the ASSURANCE,
which lay near Woolwich underwater, and cries in a
parenthesis, "Poor ship, that I have been twice merry in, in
Captain Holland's time;" and after revisiting the NASEBY, now
changed into the CHARLES, he confesses "it was a great
pleasure to myself to see the ship that I began my good
fortune in." The stone that he was cut for he preserved in a
case; and to the Turners he kept alive such gratitude for
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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 Lost Princess of Oz by L. Frank Baum: placing these also in the dishpan, which he caused to grow large
enough to hold them. Next he seated himself amongst the treasures he
had stolen and wished himself in the room in Ozma's palace which the
Wizard occupied and where he kept his bag of magic tools. This bag
Ugu added to his plunder and then wished himself in the apartments of
Ozma.
Here he first took the Magic Picture from the wall and then seized all
the other magical things which Ozma possessed. Having placed these in
the dishpan, he was about to climb in himself when he looked up and
saw Ozma standing beside him. Her fairy instinct had warned her that
danger was threatening her, so the beautiful girl Ruler rose from her
The Lost Princess 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 Red Seal by Natalie Sumner Lincoln: remaining paper from the envelope.
"It is a marvelous imitation of my handwriting," declared McIntyre,
looking at it carefully, then tearing it into tiny bits he flung
them into the scrap-basket and pocketed the securities.
"And to think that I aided Sylvester's plot to gain the securities
by engaging him as our clerk," groaned Rochester.
"It was clever of him to seek employment here," agreed Kent. "But
like many crooks he over-reached himself through over-confidence.
Must you go, Colonel McIntyre?"
"Yes." McIntyre walked over to Helen.
"My dear little girl," he began and his voice was husky with
The Red Seal |
