| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The First Men In The Moon by H. G. Wells: the cold of the night comes to kill us, or else -"
He paused. "Yes?" I said, though I knew what was coming.
"We might attempt once more to establish some sort of understanding with
the minds of the people in the moon."
"So far as I'm concerned - it's the first."
"I doubt."
"I don't."
"You see," said Cavor, "I do not think we can judge the Selenites by what
we have seen of them. Their central world, their civilised world will be
far below in the profounder caverns about their sea. This region of the
crust in which we are is an outlying district, a pastoral region. At any
The First Men In The Moon |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Cromwell by William Shakespeare: No, Cromwell, no; thy heart was ne'er so base,
To live by falsehood or by brokery!
But 't falles out well, I little it repent;
Hereafter, time in travel shall be spent.
[Enter Hodge, his father's man.]
HODGE.
Your son Thomas, quoth you: I have been Thomast!
I had thought it had been no such matter to a gone by
water: for at Putney I'll go you to Parish-garden for
two pence, sit as still as may be, without any wagging
or jolting in my guts, in a little boat too: here we were
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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 Street of Seven Stars by Mary Roberts Rinehart: "All well, of course," sang Peter, eyes on the comfortable Floor
of his lamp, the flicker that was the fire. "Auf wiedersehen,
Herr Schenkenkaufer."
"Auf wiedersehen, Herr Doktor."
Violets, lilies-of-the-valley, cheese, rosary, luggage--thus
Peter climbed the stairs. The Portier wished to assist him, but
Peter declined. The Portier was noisy. There was to be a moment
when Peter, having admitted himself with extreme caution, would
present himself without so much as a creak to betray him, would
stand in a doorway until some one, Harmony perhaps--ah,
Peter!--would turn and see him. She had a way of putting one
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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 Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum: Aesop's fables."
"Don't mention Aesop to me, I beg of you!" exclaimed King Dox.
"I hate that man's name. He wrote a good deal about foxes, but always
made them out cruel and wicked, whereas we are gentle and kind, as you
may see."
"But his fables showed you to be wise and clever, and more shrewd than
other animals," said the shaggy man, thoughtfully.
"So we are. There is no question about our knowing more than men do,"
replied the King, proudly. "But we employ our wisdom to do good,
instead of harm; so that horrid Aesop did not know what he was
talking about."
The Road to Oz |
