| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle: "Thou wilt play madman, wilt thou?" said the leader of the band.
"Here, Giles, fetch a cord and bind this knave's hands behind him.
I warrant we will bring his wits back to him again when we get
him safe before our good Bishop at Tutbury Town." Thereupon they
tied the Cobbler's hands behind him, and led him off with a rope,
as the farmer leads off the calf he hath brought from the fair.
Robin stood looking after them, and when they were gone he laughed
till the tears rolled down his cheeks; for he knew that no harm
would befall the honest fellow, and he pictured to himself
the Bishop's face when good Quince was brought before him as
Robin Hood. Then, turning his steps once more to the eastward,
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Nana, Miller's Daughter, Captain Burle, Death of Olivier Becaille by Emile Zola: accompanying her to the Abbey of Chamont. But he stood out against
this; he was afraid of being seen. If he were to be seen driving
with her there would be an atrocious scandal. But she burst into
tears and evinced the noisy despair of a slighted woman. And he
thereupon consoled her and formally promised to be one of the party.
"So you do love me very much," she blurted out. "Say you love me
very much. Oh, my darling old bear, if I were to die would you feel
it very much? Confess!"
At Les Fondettes the near neighborhood of Nana had utterly
disorganized the party. Every morning during lunch good Mme Hugon
returned to the subject despite herself, told her guests the news
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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 Where There's A Will by Mary Roberts Rinehart: "Of course," Miss Cobb said, wetting her finger and trying the
iron to see if it was hot, "of course, Minnie, they're not
married yet, and if Father Jennings gets ugly and makes any sort
of scandal it's all off. A scandal just now would be fatal.
These royalties are very touchy about other people's
reputations."
Well, I heard that often enough in the next few days.
Mr. Sam hadn't come back by the morning of the sixth day, but he
wired his wife the day before that Mr. Dick was on the way. But
we met every train with a sleigh, and he didn't come. I was
uneasy, knowing Mr. Dick, and Mrs. Sam was worried, too.
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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 Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland by Olive Schreiner: in which he first saw light.
The stranger watched the fire; then he said musingly, "I have seen a land
far from here. In that land are men of two kinds who live side by side.
Well nigh a thousand years ago one conquered the other; they have lived
together since. Today the one people seeks to drive forth the other who
conquered them. Are these men rebels, too?"
"Well," said Peter, pleased at being deferred to, "that all depends who
they are, you know!"
"They call the one nation Turks, and the other Armenians," said the
stranger.
"Oh, the Armenians aren't rebels," said Peter; "they are on our side! The
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