| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum: "The creature is made of wood," replied the captain. "Your magic will
not work on wood, you know."
"Ah, I'd forgotten that," said the King, getting up and limping to his
throne. "Very well, let the girl alone. She can't escape us, anyway."
The warriors, who had been rather confused by these incidents, now
formed their ranks again, and the Sawhorse pranced across the room to
Dorothy and took a position beside the Hungry Tiger.
At that moment the doors that led to the palace flew open and the
people of Ev and the people of Oz were disclosed to view. They
paused, astonished, at sight of the warriors and the angry Nome King,
seated in their midst.
Ozma of Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Young Forester by Zane Grey: stepped into the edge of shade..
"Well, father--" I began, haltingly, and could not collect my thoughts.
Then we were in the cool woods. It was very still, there being only a faint
rustling of leaves and the mellow note of a hermit-thrush. The deep shadows
were lightened by shafts of sunshine which, here and there, managed to
pierce the canopy of foliage. Somehow, the feeling roused by these things
loosened my tongue.
"This is an old hard-wood forest," I began. "Much of the white oak,
hickory, ash, maple, is virgin timber. These trees have reached maturity;
many are dead at the tops; all of them should have been cut long ago. They
make too dense a shade for the seedlings to survive. Look at that bunch of
The Young Forester |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Camille by Alexandre Dumas: "It is possible; but if I am to say it to you one day, it is not
to-day."
"You will do better never to say it."
"Why?"
"Because only one of two things can come of it."
"What?"
"Either I shall not accept: then you will have a grudge against
me; or I shall accept: then you will have a sorry mistress; a
woman who is nervous, ill, sad, or gay with a gaiety sadder than
grief, a woman who spits blood and spends a hundred thousand
francs a year. That is all very well for a rich old man like the
Camille |
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 Child of Storm by H. Rider Haggard: die as other men die, bid your dogs fall on, for Zikali is ready," and
he folded his arms and waited.
Indeed, all of us waited breathlessly, for we understood that the
terrible dwarf was matching himself against Panda and Cetewayo and
defying them both. Presently it became obvious that he had won the
game, since Panda only said:
"Why should I slay one whom I have befriended in the past, and why do
you speak such heavy words of death in my ears, O, Zikali the Wise,
which of late have heard so much of death?" He sighed, adding: "Be
pleased now, to tell us of this medicine, or, if you will not, go, and I
will send for other Nyangas."
Child of Storm |
