| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Roads of Destiny by O. Henry: had made out of him.
"Homicide was what that Mariana had perpetrated. He was looking well
enough, but he had on a white collar and shoes, and you could tell in
a minute that he'd speak polite and pay taxes and stick his little
finger out while drinking, just like a sheep man or a citizen. Great
skyrockets! but I hated to see Perry all corrupted and Willie-ized
like that.
"He came out to the gate, and shook hands; and I says, with scorn, and
speaking like a paroquet with the pip: 'Beg pardon--Mr. Rountree, I
believe. Seems to me I sagatiated in your associations once, if I am
not mistaken.'
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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 Wife, et al by Anton Chekhov: exhausted on the bench and closed his eyes.
"I am tired . . ." he said, and twitched his eyebrows, trying to
raise his eyelids.
To be nice to him and to show she was not cross, Olga Ivanovna
went up to him, gave him a silent kiss, and passed the comb
through his fair hair. She meant to comb it for him.
"What's that?" he said, starting as though something cold had
touched him, and he opened his eyes. "What is it? Please let me
alone."
He thrust her off, and moved away. And it seemed to her that
there was a look of aversion and annoyance on his face.
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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 Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum: a shrill blast that made the Sawhorse leap and prance in sudden alarm.
"What is that?" asked Billina, who had been obliged to flutter her
wings in order to keep her seat upon the head of the frightened Sawhorse.
"That's my whistle," said Prince Evring, holding it out upon his hand.
It was in the shape of a little fat pig, made of tin and painted
green. The whistle was in the tail of the pig.
"Where did you get it?" asked the yellow hen, closely examining the
toy with her bright eyes.
"Why, I picked it up in the Nome King's palace, while Dorothy was making
her guesses, and I put it in my pocket," answered the little Prince.
Billina laughed; or at least she made the peculiar cackle that served
Ozma 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 Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence: a big box, tools, new boards, nails; and many things hung from pegs:
axe, hatchet, traps, things in sacks, his coat. It had no window, the
light came in through the open door. It was a jumble, but also it was a
sort of little sanctuary.
She listened to the tapping of the man's hammer; it was not so happy.
He was oppressed. Here was a trespass on his privacy, and a dangerous
one! A woman! He had reached the point where all he wanted on earth was
to be alone. And yet he was powerless to preserve his privacy; he was a
hired man, and these people were his masters.
Especially he did not want to come into contact with a woman again. He
feared it; for he had a big wound from old contacts. He felt if he
Lady Chatterley's Lover |
