| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: attempting to push a smaller man to second place, but the
smaller one appealed to the high priestess, who in a cold
peremptory voice sent the larger to the extreme end of the line.
Tarzan could hear him growling and rumbling as he went
slowly to the inferior station.
Then the priestess, standing above him, began reciting
what Tarzan took to be an invocation, the while she slowly
raised her thin, sharp knife aloft. It seemed ages to the
ape-man before her arm ceased its upward progress and the
knife halted high above his unprotected breast.
Then it started downward, slowly at first, but as the
The Return of Tarzan |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne: being an absolute stranger, and what is worse in the present
conjuncture of affairs, being an Englishman too. - He replied, that
did not increase the difficulty. - I made him a slight bow, and
told him, I had something of importance to say to Monsieur le Duc.
The secretary look'd towards the stairs, as if he was about to
leave me to carry up this account to some one. - But I must not
mislead you, said I, - for what I have to say is of no manner of
importance to Monsieur le Duc de C- - but of great importance to
myself. - C'EST UNE AUTRE AFFAIRE, replied he. - Not at all, said
I, to a man of gallantry. - But pray, good sir, continued I, when
can a stranger hope to have access? - In not less than two hours,
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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 Master and Man by Leo Tolstoy: Nikita went behind the sledge, dug out a hole for himself in
the snow, put straw into it, wrapped his coat well round him,
covered himself with the sackcloth, and pulling his cap well
down seated himself on the straw he had spread, and leant
against the wooden back of the sledge to shelter himself from
the wind and the snow.
Vasili Andreevich shook his head disapprovingly at what Nikita
was doing, as in general he disapproved of the peasant's
stupidity and lack of education, and he began to settle himself
down for the night.
He smoothed the remaining straw over the bottom of the sledge,
Master and Man |
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 An Old Maid by Honore de Balzac: mouth of these walruses; on the contrary, it was a strong voice, but
stifled, an idea of which can be given only by comparing it with the
noise of a saw cutting into soft and moistened wood,--the voice of a
worn-out speculator.
In spite of the claims which the enmity of the First Consul gave
Monsieur du Bousquier to enter the royalist society of the province,
he was not received in the seven or eight families who composed the
faubourg Saint-Germain of Alencon, among whom the Chevalier de Valois
was welcome. He had offered himself in marriage, through her notary,
to Mademoiselle Armande, sister of the most distinguished noble in the
town; to which offer he received a refusal. He consoled himself as
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