| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum: under the circumstances. But how we are ever to escape from this nest I must
leave to someone with better brains than I possess."
Here he gazed at the Scarecrow; who crawled to the edge of the nest and
looked over. Below them was a sheer precipice several hundred feet in depth.
Above them was a smooth cliff unbroken save by the point of rock where the
wrecked body of the Gump still hung suspended from the end of one of the
sofas. There really seemed to be no means of escape, and as they realized
their helpless plight the little band of adventurers gave way to their
bewilderment.
"This is a worse prison than the palace," sadly remarked the Woggle-Bug.
"I wish we had stayed there," moaned Jack.
The Marvelous Land of Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Moby Dick by Herman Melville: their persisted questionings he had finally given in; and so it came
to pass that every one now knew the shameful story of his wretched
fate.
Belated, and not innocently, one bitter winter's midnight, on the
road running between two country towns, the blacksmith half-stupidly
felt the deadly numbness stealing over him, and sought refuge in a
leaning, dilapidated barn. The issue was, the loss of the
extremities of both feet. Out of this revelation, part by part, at
last came out the four acts of the gladness, and the one long, and as
yet uncatastrophied fifth act of the grief of his life's drama.
He was an old man, who, at the age of nearly sixty, had postponedly
Moby Dick |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne: Monsieur Fix, that my master is an honest man, and that,
when he makes a wager, he tries to win it fairly!"
"But who do you think I am?" asked Fix, looking at him intently.
"Parbleu! An agent of the members of the Reform Club, sent out here
to interrupt my master's journey. But, though I found you out some time ago,
I've taken good care to say nothing about it to Mr. Fogg."
"He knows nothing, then?"
"Nothing," replied Passepartout, again emptying his glass.
The detective passed his hand across his forehead, hesitating before
he spoke again. What should he do? Passepartout's mistake seemed sincere,
but it made his design more difficult. It was evident that the servant
Around the World in 80 Days |
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 Unseen World and Other Essays by John Fiske: peripheral points at which we are confronted by the impenetrable
darkness beyond. I believe that this restless yearning,--vague
enough in the description, yet recognizable by all who, communing
with themselves or with nature, have felt it,--this constant
seeking for what cannot be found, this persistent knocking at
gates which, when opened, but reveal others yet to be passed,
constitutes an element which no adequate theory of religion can
overlook. But of this we find nothing in Lessing. With him all is
sunny, serene, and pagan. Not the dim aisle of a vast cathedral,
but the symmetrical portico of an antique temple, is the
worshipping-place into which he would lead us.
The Unseen World and Other Essays |
