The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Red Seal by Natalie Sumner Lincoln: quite remember the exact dates. No, there was never any quarreling,
upstairs or down; it was a well-ordered household until this.
"Exactly," remarked the coroner dryly. "What about Monday night?
Tell us, Grimes, what occurred in that house between midnight
Monday and five o'clock Tuesday morning."
"Haven't much to tell," was the grumpy response. "I went upstairs
about half-past eleven and got down the next morning at the usual
hour, seven o'clock."
"And you heard no disturbing sounds in the night?"
"No; sir. We wouldn't be likely to; the servants' rooms are all
at the top of the house and the staircase leading to them has a
 The Red Seal |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Men of Iron by Howard Pyle: assisted by his apprentice and Gascoyne, washed and bathed the
great gaping wound in the side, and bound it with linen bandages.
Myles lay with closed eyelids, still, pallid, weak as a little
child. Presently he opened his eyes and turned them, dull and
languid, to the Prince.
"What hath happed my father, my Lord?" said he, in a faint,
whispering voice.
"Thou hath saved his life and honor, Myles," the Prince answered.
"He is here now, and thy mother hath been sent for, and cometh
anon with the priest who was with them this morn."
Myles dropped his eyelids again; his lips moved, but he made no
 Men of Iron |
The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Jungle Tales of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: carried no impression to their brains, he had desisted.
"Tarzan is not an ape," said Gunto. "He will bring
Numa to eat us, as he is bringing him to eat Goro.
We should kill him."
Immediately Taug bristled. Kill Tarzan! "First you will
kill Taug," he said, and lumbered away to search for food.
But others joined the plotters. They thought of many
things which Tarzan had done--things which apes did not do
and could not understand. Again Gunto voiced the opinion
that the Tarmangani, the white ape, should be slain,
and the others, filled with terror about the stories they
 The Jungle Tales of Tarzan |
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 A Collection of Beatrix Potter by Beatrix Potter: sort that used to be heated with
faggots of wood.
And presently at the same moment
Peter and Benjamin noticed that
whenever they shook the window--
the little door opposite shook in
answer. The young family were
alive; shut up in the oven!
Benjamin was so excited that it
was a mercy he did not awake
Tommy Brock, whose snores
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