| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Within the Tides by Joseph Conrad: the fresh silence of the morning while they walked the broad path,
Miss Moorsom a little in advance of her aunt.
When she came abreast of him Renouard raised his head.
"Good-bye, Mr. Renouard," she said in a low voice, meaning to pass
on; but there was such a look of entreaty in the blue gleam of his
sunken eyes that after an imperceptible hesitation she laid her
hand, which was ungloved, in his extended palm.
"Will you condescend to remember me?" he asked, while an emotion
with which she was angry made her pale cheeks flush and her black
eyes sparkle.
"This is a strange request for you to make," she said exaggerating
Within the Tides |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Lost Princess of Oz by L. Frank Baum: He had scarcely spoken these words when out from the gates of the
wicker castle marched a regiment of soldiers, clad in gay uniforms and
all bearing long, pointed spears and sharp battle axes. These
soldiers were girls, and the uniforms were short skirts of yellow and
black satin, golden shoes, bands of gold across their foreheads and
necklaces of glittering jewels. Their jackets were scarlet, braided
with silver cords. There were hundreds of these girl-soldiers, and
they were more terrible than beautiful, being strong and fierce in
appearance. They formed a circle all around the castle and faced
outward, their spears pointed toward the invaders, and their battle
axes held over their shoulders, ready to strike. Of course, our
The Lost Princess 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 Enchanted Island of Yew by L. Frank Baum: down the castle steps, where the rope broke and the men fell sprawling
in all directions on the marble walk.
King Terribus sighed, for such treatment of his Gray Men, whom he
dearly loved, made him very unhappy.
But more than ever was he resolved to kill these impudent strangers,
who, in the very heart of his kingdom where thousands bowed to his
will, dared openly defy his power. So, after a moment's thought,
Terribus beckoned to a dwarf who, robed in gay and glittering apparel,
stood near his throne.
"Summon the royal Dart Slingers!" he said, with a scowl.
The little man bowed and hastened away, to return presently with
The Enchanted Island of Yew |
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 Two Poets by Honore de Balzac: better. Besides, had not David been earning money, thanks to an
education paid for by the sweat of his old father's brow? Now surely
was the time when the education would come in useful.
"What have you done with your 'polls?' " he asked, returning to the
charge. He meant to have light on a problem which his son left
unresolved the day before.
"Why, had I not to live?" David asked indignantly, "and books to buy
besides?"
"Oh! you bought books, did you? You will make a poor man of business.
A man that buys books is hardly fit to print them," retorted the
"bear."
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