| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Pool in the Desert by Sara Jeanette Duncan: uncommonly well-turned-out pair. I had helped to pick Dora's hack,
and I allowed myself to reflect that he did my judgment credit. She
sat him perfectly in her wrath--she was plainly angry--not a hair
out of place. Why is it that a lady out of temper with her escort
always walks away from him? Is her horse sympathetic? Ronald, at
all events, was leading by a couple of yards, when suddenly he
shied, bounding well across the road.
The mare, whose manners I can always answer for, simply stopped and
looked haughtily about for explanations. A path dropped into the
road from the hillside; something came scrambling and stumbling
down.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Tin Woodman of Oz by L. Frank Baum: he was angry. So one day the little folks came in a
great crowd and captured Mr. Yoop, and carried him away
to a cage somewhere in the mountains. I don't know
where it is, and I don't care, for my husband treated
me badly at times, forgetting the respect a giant owes
to a giantess. Often he kicked me on my shins, when I
wouldn't wait on him. So I'm glad he is gone."
"It's a wonder the people didn't capture you, too,"
remarked Woot.
"Well, I was too clever for them," said she, giving a
sudden laugh that caused such a breeze that the wobbly
The Tin Woodman of Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Nada the Lily by H. Rider Haggard: naming the king by his royal names. Chaka bade him cease from praising
and tell his business. Then the man sat up and told all that tale
which you have heard, my father, of how a young man, great and strong,
came to the place of the People of the Axe and conquered Jikiza, the
holder of the axe, and become chief of that people, and of how he had
taken the cattle of Masilo and driven him away. Now Chaka knew nothing
of this People of the Axe, for the land was great in those days, my
father, and there were many little tribes in it, living far away, of
whom the king had not even heard; so he questioned Masilo about them,
and of the number of their fighting-men, of their wealth in cattle, of
the name of the young man who ruled them, and especially as to the
Nada the Lily |
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 Charmides by Plato: Is not medicine, I said, the science of health?
True.
And suppose, I said, that I were asked by you what is the use or effect of
medicine, which is this science of health, I should answer that medicine is
of very great use in producing health, which, as you will admit, is an
excellent effect.
Granted.
And if you were to ask me, what is the result or effect of architecture,
which is the science of building, I should say houses, and so of other
arts, which all have their different results. Now I want you, Critias, to
answer a similar question about temperance, or wisdom, which, according to
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