| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield: had another baby--and such a one for crying!--to look after. Then young
Maudie went wrong and took her sister Alice with her; the two boys
emigrimated, and young Jim went to India with the army, and Ethel, the
youngest, married a good-for-nothing little waiter who died of ulcers the
year little Lennie was born. And now little Lennie--my grandson...
The piles of dirty cups, dirty dishes, were washed and dried. The ink-
black knives were cleaned with a piece of potato and finished off with a
piece of cork. The table was scrubbed, and the dresser and the sink that
had sardine tails swimming in it...
He'd never been a strong child--never from the first. He'd been one of
those fair babies that everybody took for a girl. Silvery fair curls he
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy: because of his examinations that the whole family were still in
town. Next to him sat a University student who was coaching him,
and Missy's cousin, Michael Sergeivitch Telegin, generally called
Misha; opposite him, Katerina Alexeevna, a 40-year-old maiden
lady, a Slavophil; and at the foot of the table sat Missy
herself, with an empty place by her side.
"Ah! that's right! Sit down. We are still at the fish," said old
Korchagin with difficulty, chewing carefully with his false
teeth, and lifting his bloodshot eyes (which had no visible lids
to them) to Nekhludoff.
"Stephen!" he said, with his mouth full, addressing the stout,
Resurrection |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Child of Storm by H. Rider Haggard: you if you think that this wonderful old dwarf will receive me."
"I believe that he will, Macumazahn, for this reason--he told me that I
should meet you and love you, and that you would be mixed up in my
fortunes."
"Then he poured moonshine into your gourd instead of beer," I answered.
"Would you keep me here till midnight listening to such foolishness when
we must start at dawn? Begone now and let me sleep."
"I go," he answered with a little smile. "But if this is so, O
Macumazana, why do you also wish to drink of the moonshine of Zikali?"
and he went.
Yet I did not sleep very well that night, for Saduko and his strange and
Child of Storm |
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 Under the Andes by Rex Stout: Janvour took me to the railroad station, and even offered to
accompany me to Cherbourg; but I refused to tear him away from
his
little paradise.
We stood on the platform arguing the matter, when I suddenly
became aware of that indistinct flutter and bustle seen in public
places at some unusual happening or the unexpected arrival of a
great personage.
I turned and saw that which was worthy of the interest it had
excited.
In the first place, the daintiest little electric brougham in
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