| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Old Indian Legends by Zitkala-Sa: rawhide rope staked to the water's brink, which led away toward a
small round hut in the distance. The ground was trodden into a
deep groove beneath the loosely drawn rawhide rope.
"Hun-he!" exclaimed Manstin, bending over the freshly made
footprints in the moist bank of the brook. "A man's footprints!"
he said to himself. "A blind man lives in yonder hut! This rope
is his guide by which he comes for his daily water!" surmised
Manstin, who knew all the peculiar contrivances of the people. At
once his eyes became fixed upon the solitary dwelling and hither he
followed his curiosity,--a real blind man's rope.
Quietly he lifted the door-flap and entered in. An old
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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 Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart: give up.
"I'm afraid I can't stand it," I said. "But there's a knife
somewhere around these clothes, and if I can find it, perhaps you
can cut the leather."
As I gave her the knife she turned it over, examining it with a
peculiar expression, bewilderment rather than surprise. But she
said nothing. She set to work deftly, and in a few minutes the bag
dropped free.
"That's better," I declared, sitting up. "Now, if you can pin my
sleeve to my coat, it will support the arm so we can get away from
here."
The Man in Lower Ten |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Heroes by Charles Kingsley: him; and then stopped short and railed him, as curs stop and
bark when they rouse a lion from his lair.
But one hurled a lance from the rear rank, which past close
by Theseus' head; and at that Theseus rushed forward, and the
fight began indeed. Twenty against one they fought, and yet
Theseus beat them all; and those who were left fled down into
the town, where the people set on them, and drove them out,
till Theseus was left alone in the palace, with AEgeus his
new-found father. But before nightfall all the town came up,
with victims, and dances, and songs; and they offered
sacrifices to Athene, and rejoiced all the night long,
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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 Moral Emblems by Robert Louis Stevenson: Corpulent feeders, grossly dining,
And jolly clamour, hum and rattle,
Fairly outvoiced the tempest's battle.
As still his moistened lip he fingered,
The envious policeman lingered;
While far the infernal tempest sped,
And shook the country folks in bed,
And tore the trees and tossed the ships,
He lingered and he licked his lips.
Lo, from within, a hush! the host
Briefly expressed the evening's toast;
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