| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum: face lazily and stared at the coals with a look of perfect content.
The toy cat sat opposite the real one and gazed straight ahead, as toy
cats should.
Suddenly Claus heard a noise that sounded different from the voice of
the wind. It was more like a wail of suffering and despair.
He stood up and listened, but the wind, growing boisterous, shook the
door and rattled the windows to distract his attention. He waited
until the wind was tired and then, still listening, he heard once more
the shrill cry of distress.
Quickly he drew on his coat, pulled his cap over his eyes and opened
the door. The wind dashed in and scattered the embers over the
 The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus |
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 Adieu by Honore de Balzac: of playing with her; I have kept for myself the heaviest cares. While
you have slept, I have watched, I have-- Go, monsieur, go! abandon
her! leave this sad refuge. I know how to live with that dear darling
creature; I comprehend her madness, I watch her gestures, I know her
secrets. Some day you will thank me for thus sending you away."
The colonel left the old monastery, never to return but once. The
doctor was horrified when he saw the effect he had produced upon his
guest, whom he now began to love when he saw him thus. Surely, if
either of the two lovers were worthy of pity, it was Philippe; did he
not bear alone the burden of their dreadful sorrow?
After the colonel's departure the doctor kept himself informed about
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