Today's Stichomancy for Stephen Colbert

The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum:

where our Princess Ozma lives, green is the popular color. But all Munchkins prefer blue to anything else and when my housework girl is brought to life she will find herself to be of so many unpopular colors that she'll never dare be rebellious or impudent, as servants are sometimes liable to be when they are made the same way their mistresses are."

Unc Nunkie nodded approval.

"Good idea," he said; and that was a long speech for Unc Nunkie because it was two

The Patchwork Girl of Oz

The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Tanach:

Proverbs 25: 26 As a troubled fountain, and a corrupted spring, so is a righteous man that giveth way before the wicked.

Proverbs 25: 27 It is not good to eat much honey; so for men to search out their own glory is not glory.

Proverbs 25: 28 Like a city broken down and without a wall, so is he whose spirit is without restraint.

Proverbs 26: 1 As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.

Proverbs 26: 2 As the wandering sparrow, as the flying swallow, so the curse that is causeless shall come home.

Proverbs 26: 3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the back of fools.

Proverbs 26: 4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

Proverbs 26: 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

Proverbs 26: 6 He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off his own feet, and drinketh damage.

Proverbs 26: 7 The legs hang limp from the lame; so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

Proverbs 26: 8 As a small stone in a heap of stones, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.

The Tanach

The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Padre Ignacio by Owen Wister:

saw serenity had returned to his features; but for some reason they began to watch those features with more care.

"Still," they said, "he is not old." And as the months went by they would repeat: "We shall have him yet for many years."

Thus the season rolled round, bringing the time for the expected messages from the world. Padre Ignacio was wont to sit in his garden, waiting for the ship, as of old.

"As of old," they said, cheerfully, who saw him. But Renunciation with Contentment they could not see; it was deep down in his silent and thanked heart.

One day Felipe went to call him from his garden seat, wondering why the

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 House of Dust by Conrad Aiken:

Too meaningless; or, if it has a meaning, Too tiresomely insistent on one meaning:

Futility . . . This world, I hear you saying,-- With lifted chin, and arm in outflung gesture, Coldly imperious,--this transient world, What has it then to give, if not containing Deep hints of nobler worlds? We know its beauties,-- Momentary and trivial for the most part, Perceived through flesh, passing like flesh away,-- And know how much outweighed they are by darkness. We are like searchers in a house of darkness,