The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Maid Marian by Thomas Love Peacock: from the quarters of the four winds, and from each quarter came
five-and-twenty bowmen running all on a row.
"Treason! treason!" cried the sheriff. Old Sir Guy sprang to his
son's side, and so did Little John; and the four setting back
to back, kept the sheriff and his men at bay till the bowmen came
within shot and let fly their arrows among the sheriff's men, who,
after a brief resistance, fled in all directions. The forester,
who had personated the friar, sent an arrow after the flying sheriff,
calling with a strong voice, "To the sheriff's left arm,
as a keepsake from Robin Hood." The arrow reached its destiny;
the sheriff redoubled his speed, and, with the one arrow in his arm,
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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 Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum: place where the road cut through a low hill,
leaving high banks on either side of it. They
were traveling along this cut, talking together,
when the Shaggy Man seized Scraps with one
arm and Ojo with another and shouted: "Stop!"
"What's wrong now?" asked the Patchwork Girl.
"See there!" answered the Shaggy Man, pointing
with his finger.
Directly in the center of the road lay a
motionless object that bristled all over with
sharp quills, which resembled arrows. The body was
The Patchwork Girl of Oz |
The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie: why the finger-marks have remained undisturbed since then."
"How did you manage to take this photograph?"
"I dropped my hat from the balcony," explained Poirot simply.
"Visitors were not permitted below at that hour, so, in spite of
my many apologies, Mademoiselle Cynthia's colleague had to go
down and fetch it for me."
"Then you knew what you were going to find?"
"No, not at all. I merely realized that it was possible, from
your story, for Monsieur Lawrence to go to the poison cupboard.
The possibility had to be confirmed, or eliminated."
"Poirot," I said, "your gaiety does not deceive me. This is a
The Mysterious Affair at Styles |
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 Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe: "Of course, it would be a very painful duty," began Mr. Bird,
in a moderate tone.
"Duty, John! don't use that word! You know it isn't a duty--it
can't be a duty! If folks want to keep their slaves from
running away, let 'em treat 'em well,--that's my doctrine. If I
had slaves (as I hope I never shall have), I'd risk their wanting
to run away from me, or you either, John. I tell you folks don't
run away when they are happy; and when they do run, poor creatures!
they suffer enough with cold and hunger and fear, without everybody's
turning against them; and, law or no law, I never will, so help me God!"
"Mary! Mary! My dear, let me reason with you."
Uncle Tom's Cabin |