| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tales of Unrest by Joseph Conrad: other trade goods it contained. Besides the storehouse and Makola's
hut, there was only one large building in the cleared ground of the
station. It was built neatly of reeds, with a verandah on all the four
sides. There were three rooms in it. The one in the middle was the
living-room, and had two rough tables and a few stools in it. The
other two were the bedrooms for the white men. Each had a bedstead
and a mosquito net for all furniture. The plank floor was littered
with the belongings of the white men; open half-empty boxes, torn
wearing apparel, old boots; all the things dirty, and all the things
broken, that accumulate mysteriously round untidy men. There was also
another dwelling-place some distance away from the buildings. In it,
Tales of Unrest |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A treatise on Good Works by Dr. Martin Luther: a man must say as St. Peter says to the rulers of the Jews: "We
ought to obey God rather than men." He did not say: "We must not
obey men"; for that would be wrong; but he said: "God rather than
men." Thus, if a prince desired to go to war, and his cause was
manifestly unrighteous, we should not follow nor help him at all;
since God has commanded that we shall not kill our neighbor, nor
do him injustice. Likewise, if he bade us bear false witness,
steal, lie or deceive and the like. Here we ought rather give up
goods, honor, body, and life, that God's Commandments may stand.
The four preceding Commandments have their works in the
understanding, that is, they take a man captive, rule him and
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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 Pellucidar by Edgar Rice Burroughs: emperor of whom you have heard. You need travel no
farther."
Kolk was delighted. He told us much of the wonderful
resources of Thuria, the Land of Awful Shadow, and of
his long journey in search of Amoz.
"And why," I asked, "does Goork, your father, desire
to join his kingdom to the empire?"
"There are two reasons," replied the young man. "For-
ever have the Mahars, who dwell beyond the Lidi Plains
which lie at the farther rim of the Land of Awful
Shadow, taken heavy toll of our people, whom they
Pellucidar |
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 Chinese Boy and Girl by Isaac Taylor Headland: making a tour of his empire, a skillful mechanic, Yen Shih by
name, was brought into his presence and entertained him and the
women of his seraglio with a dance performed by automaton
figures, which were capable not only of rhythmical movements of
their limbs, but of accompanying their movements with songs.
During and at the close of the performance, the puppets cast such
significant glances at the ladies as to anger the monarch, and he
ordered the execution of the originator of the play.
The mechanic however ripped open the puppets, and proved to his
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