| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Village Rector by Honore de Balzac: character of this whole community," said Madame Graslin.
"Nothing can resist him," said Farrabesche.
"Yes, yes, I know it!" replied Veronique, hastily, making a gesture of
farewell to her keeper.
Farrabesche withdrew. Veronique remained alone on the terrace for a
good part of the day, walking up and down in spite of a fine rain
which fell till evening. When her face was thus convulsed, neither her
mother nor Aline dared to interrupt her. She did not notice in the
dusk that her mother was talking in the salon to Monsieur Bonnet; the
old woman, anxious to put an end to this fresh attack of dreadful
depression, sent little Francis to fetch her. The child took his
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Roads of Destiny by O. Henry: "'Sleep-walking,' said the doctor.
"All of us went back to the house, and the doctor told us some
remarkable stories about the strange things people had done while in
that condition. I was feeling rather chilly after my trip out, and, as
my wife was out of the room at the time, I pulled open the door of an
old wardrobe that stood in the room and dragged out a big quilt I had
seen in there. With it tumbled out the bag of money for stealing which
Bob was to be tried--and convicted--in the morning.
"'How the jumping rattlesnakes did that get there?' I yelled, and all
hands must have seen how surprised I was. Bob knew in a flash.
"'You darned old snoozer,' he said, with the old-time look on his
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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 The Second Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling: village. He walks between the houses and thrusts his head into
the doorway, and the men fall on their faces, and there he does
his kill. One kill in that Night."
"Oh!" said Mowgli to himself, rolling over in the water. "NOW I
see why it was Shere Khan bade me look at him! He got no good
of it, for he could not hold his eyes steady, and--and I
certainly did not fall down at his feet. But then I am not a
man, being of the Free People."
"Umm!" said Bagheera deep in his furry throat. "Does the Tiger
know his Night?"
"Never till the Jackal of the Moon stands clear of the evening
The Second Jungle Book |
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 Koran: likeness of a grain that grows to seven ears, in every ear a hundred
grains, for God will double unto whom He pleases; for God both
embraces and knows.
Those who expend their wealth in God's way, then do not follow up
what they expend by taunting with it and by annoyance, these have
their hire with their Lord, and no fear is on them, neither shall they
grieve.
Kind speech and pardon are better than almsgiving followed by
annoyance, and God is rich and clement.
O ye who believe! make not your almsgiving vain by taunts and
annoyance, like him who expends what he has for the sake of
The Koran |
