| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Enchanted Island of Yew by L. Frank Baum: this way and that, and at last came to a pair of golden double doors
leading into the throne-room of the mighty High Ki. Here they all
paused, and the Ki-Ki both turned to the prince and Nerle and said:
"You are the only persons, excepting ourselves and the palace
servants, who have ever been permitted to see the High Ki of Twi. As
you are about to die, that does not matter; but should you by any
chance be permitted to live, you must never breathe a word of what you
are about to see, under penalty of a sure and horrible death."
The prisoners made no reply to this speech, and, after the two Ki-Ki had
given them another mild look from their gentle blue eyes, these officials
clapped their twin hands together and the doors of gold flew open.
The Enchanted Island of Yew |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau by Honore de Balzac: my friends as much--to celebrate the emancipation of our territory--as
to commemorate my--promotion to the order of the Legion of honor,"--
here Grindot made a curious gesture. "Possibly I showed myself worthy
of that--signal--and royal--favor, by my services on the bench, and by
fighting for the Bourbons upon the steps of Saint-Roch on the 13th
Vendemiaire, where I was wounded by Napoleon. These claims--"
Constance, in a morning gown, here came out of her daughter's bedroom,
where she had been dressing; her first glance cut short Cesar's
eloquence just as he was about to formulate in flowing phrase, though
modestly, the tale of his merits.
"/Tiens, Mimi/, this is Monsieur /de/ Grindot, a young man
Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley: Martinmas."
"You do?" shouted Grimes; and leaving Tom, he climbed up over the
wall, and faced the woman. Tom thought he was going to strike her;
but she looked him too full and fierce in the face for that.
"Yes; I was there," said the Irishwoman quietly.
"You are no Irishwoman, by your speech," said Grimes, after many
bad words.
"Never mind who I am. I saw what I saw; and if you strike that boy
again, I can tell what I know."
Grimes seemed quite cowed, and got on his donkey without another
word.
|
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 Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac: were weak and watery, owing to some glandular affection which
compelled him to wipe them continually, she considered him to be
a very gentlemanly and pleasant-looking man. Moreover, the widow
saw favorable indications of character in the well-developed
calves of his legs and in his square-shaped nose, indications
still further borne out by the worthy man's full-moon countenance
and look of stupid good-nature. This, in all probability, was a
strongly-build animal, whose brains mostly consisted in a
capacity for affection. His hair, worn in ailes de pigeon, and
duly powdered every morning by the barber from the Ecole
Polytechnique, described five points on his low forehead, and
Father Goriot |
