| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas: you this wonderful flower. This is the reason why I beg you
to come and fetch it yourself.
"It is my wish that it should be called Rosa Barlaensis.
"It has opened; it is perfectly black; come, Mynheer
President, come.
"I have the honour to be your humble servant,
"Rosa Gryphus.
"That's it, dear Rosa, that's it. Your letter is admirable!
I could not have written it with such beautiful simplicity.
You will give to the committee all the information that will
be required of you. They will then know how the tulip has
The Black Tulip |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Fantastic Fables by Ambrose Bierce: citizen or subject of either country disobeying the injunction is
to detach the scalps of all persons massacred and deposit them with
a local officer designated to receive and preserve them and sworn
to keep and render a true account thereof. At the conclusion of
each massacre in either country, or as soon thereafter as
practicable, or at stated regular periods, as may be provided by
treaty, there shall be an exchange of scalps between the two
Governments, scalp for scalp, without regard to sex or age; the
Government having the greatest number is to be taxed on the excess
at the rate of $1000 a scalp, and the other Government credited
with the amount. Once in every decade there shall be a general
Fantastic Fables |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Kwaidan by Lafcadio Hearn: "What priest?" the young man asked.
"The priest who yesterday evening directed me to this village," answered
Muso. "I called at his anjitsu on the hill yonder. He refused me lodging,
but told me the way here."
The listeners looked at each other, as in astonishment; and, after a
moment of silence, the master of the house said:--
"Reverend Sir, there is no priest and there is no anjitsu on the hill. For
the time of many generations there has not been any resident-priest in this
neighborhood."
Muso said nothing more on the subject; for it was evident that his kind
hosts supposed him to have been deluded by some goblin. But after having
Kwaidan |
