| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Chita: A Memory of Last Island by Lafcadio Hearn: taught to use on such occasions.
... Night wore on: still the shining floor palpitated to the
feet of the dancers; still the piano-forte pealed, and still the
violins sang,--and the sound of their singing shrilled through
the darkness, in gasps of the gale, to the ears of Captain Smith,
as he strove to keep his footing on the spray-drenched deck of
the Star.
--"Christ!" he muttered,--"a dance! If that wind whips round
south, there'll be another dance! ... But I guess the Star will
stay." ...
Half an hour might have passed; still the lights flamed calmly,
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson: Then Lancelot lifted his large eyes; they dwelt
Deep-tranced on hers, and could not fall: her hue
Changed at his gaze: so turning side by side
They past, and Balin started from his bower.
'Queen? subject? but I see not what I see.
Damsel and lover? hear not what I hear.
My father hath begotten me in his wrath.
I suffer from the things before me, know,
Learn nothing; am not worthy to be knight;
A churl, a clown!' and in him gloom on gloom
Deepened: he sharply caught his lance and shield,
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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 The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle: Robin's beard is as yellow as gold, while yon tattered beggar
in scarlet hath a beard of brown, besides being blind of one eye.
As for the stranger in blue, Robin's shoulders, I ween,
are three inches broader than his."
"Then," quoth the Sheriff, smiting his thigh angrily, "yon knave
is a coward as well as a rogue, and dares not show his face among
good men and true."
Then, after they had rested a short time, those ten stout men stepped
forth to shoot again. Each man shot two arrows, and as they shot,
not a word was spoken, but all the crowd watched with scarce a breath
of sound; but when the last had shot his arrow another great shout arose,
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood |
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 Young Forester by Zane Grey: Herky-Jerky did not wait for permission; he untied me, and helped me to my
feet. I was rather unsteady on my legs at first, and my injured arm felt
like a board. It seemed dead; but after I had moved it a little the pain
came back, and it had apparently come to stay. We ate breakfast, and then
settled down to do nothing, or to wait for something to turn up. Buell sat
in the doorway, moodily watching the trail. Once he spoke, ordering the
Mexican to drive in the horses. I fancied from this that Buell might have
decided to break camp, but there was no move to pack.
The morning quiet was suddenly split by the stinging crack of a rifle and a
yell of agony.
Buell leaped to his feet, his ruddy face white.
The Young Forester |
