The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Glinda of Oz by L. Frank Baum: witchcraft. A witch has to use her fingers, and a pig
has only cloven hoofs."
"It seems a sad story," was Ozma's comment, "and all
the trouble arose because the Flatheads wanted fish
that did not belong to them."
"As for that," said the Su-dic, again angry, "I made
a law that any of my people could catch fish in the
Lake of the Skeezers, whenever they wanted to. So the
trouble was through the Skeezers defying my law."
"You can only make laws to govern your own people,"
asserted Ozma sternly. "I, alone, am empowered to make
Glinda of Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table by Oliver Wendell Holmes: clicking in a calculator's brain. The power of dealing with
numbers is a kind of "detached lever" arrangement, which may be put
into a mighty poor watch - I suppose it is about as common as the
power of moving the ears voluntarily, which is a moderately rare
endowment.
- Little localized powers, and little narrow streaks of specialized
knowledge, are things men are very apt to be conceited about.
Nature is very wise; but for this encouraging principle how many
small talents and little accomplishments would be neglected! Talk
about conceit as much as you like, it is to human character what
salt is to the ocean; it keeps it sweet, and renders it endurable.
The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table |