| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Moon-Face and Other Stories by Jack London: sickening dread I realized that Lloyd Inwood had come upon the scene. To make
sure, I looked for his shadow, and there it was, a shapeless blotch the girth
of his body, (the sun was overhead), moving along the ground. I remembered his
threat, and felt sure that all the long years of rivalry were about to
culminate in uncanny battle.
I cried a warning to Paul, and heard a snarl as of a wild beast, and an
answering snarl. I saw the dark blotch move swiftly across the court, and a
brilliant burst of vari-colored light moving with equal swiftness to meet it;
and then shadow and flash came together and there was the sound of unseen
blows. The net went down before my frightened eyes. I sprang toward the
fighters, crying:
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis: his friends. But he began to protest, "Gosh, I've done my share in cleaning
up the city. I want to tend to business. Think I'll just kind of slacken up
on this G.C.L. stuff now."
He had returned to the church as he had returned to the Boosters' Club. He
had even endured the lavish greeting which Sheldon Smeeth gave him. He was
worried lest during his late discontent he had imperiled his salvation. He was
not quite sure there was a Heaven to be attained, but Dr. John Jennison Drew
said there was, and Babbitt was not going to take a chance.
One evening when he was walking past Dr. Drew's parsonage he impulsively went
in and found the pastor in his study.
"Jus' minute--getting 'phone call," said Dr. Drew in businesslike tones, then,
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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 Historical Lecturers and Essays by Charles Kingsley: king's meat? He gives the usual answer; and a covered basket is put
before him, out of which he is to take--in Median fashion--what he
likes. He finds in it the head and hands and feet of his own son.
Like a true Eastern he shows no signs of horror. The king asks him
if he knew what flesh he had been eating. He answers that he knew
perfectly. That whatever the king did pleased him.
Like an Eastern courtier, he knew how to dissemble, but not to
forgive, and bided his time. The Magi, to their credit, told
Astyages that his dream had been fulfilled, that Cyrus--as we must
now call the foundling prince--had fulfilled it by becoming a king
in play, and the boy is let to go back to his father and his hardy
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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 The Rescue by Joseph Conrad: through it low voices inside, heavy thuds; and felt at every blow
a slight vibration of the ground under her feet. She glanced
fearfully over her shoulder and saw nothing in the darkness but
the expiring glow of the torch she had thrown away and the sombre
shimmer of the lagoon bordering the opaque darkness of the shore.
Her strained eyeballs seemed to detect mysterious movements in
the darkness and she gave way to irresistible terror, to a
shrinking agony of apprehension. Was she to be transfixed by a
broad blade, to the high, immovable wall of wood against which
she was flattening herself desperately, as though she could hope
to penetrate it by the mere force of her fear? She had no idea
The Rescue |
