| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from To-morrow by Joseph Conrad: breakfast every morning. He thanked God for it,
in a fiendish tone as though he were cursing.
Captain Hagberd had been so unfavourably im-
pressed by his tenant, that once he told Miss Bes-
sie, "He is a very extravagant fellow, my dear."
She was knitting that day, finishing a pair of
socks for her father, who expected her to keep up
the supply dutifully. She hated knitting, and, as
she was just at the heel part, she had to keep her
eyes on her needles.
"Of course it isn't as if he had a son to provide
To-morrow |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Enchanted Island of Yew by L. Frank Baum: with velvet spreads, marble baths with perfumed waters, and a variety
of silken and brocaded costumes from which they might select a change
of raiment.
No sooner had they bathed and adorned themselves fittingly than they
were summoned to the king's banquet hall, being escorted thither by
twelve young maidens bearing torches with lavender-colored flames.
The night had fallen upon the mountains outside, but the great banquet
hall was brilliant with the glow of a thousand candles, and seated at
the head of the long table was King Terribus.
Yet here, as in the throne-room, the ruler of Spor was dressed in
simplest garments, and his seat was a rough block of stone. All about
The Enchanted Island of Yew |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Stories From the Old Attic by Robert Harris: carpets were used to clean the servants' boots. The point is that
after all this additional acquisition, the king's lifestyle was much
fancier, but the king himself was still not happy.
"What his majesty needs is activity," said the king's culture
minister. "Activity is the rubbing paper that scours the rust from
the soul and burnishes her to a new shine. If the king would just
engage in some hobbies, he would find contentment." So the king
took up some hobbies: hunting, painting, dancing, building (more
mansions and castles), eating, woodworking, stamp collecting, riding
(in his golden carriage and on horseback), swimming (in his pool
full of pearls), and even knitting. In all he tried thousands or
|
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 Young Forester by Zane Grey: still, you wild man! you're not goin' to die. Git some water, Herky.
Fellers, Greaser has been oneasy ever since he knew Jim Williams was lookin'
fer him. He thinks Jim did this. But Jim Williams don't use a rifle, an',
what's more, when he shoots he don't miss. You all heerd the rifle-shot."
"Then it was old Bent or Leslie?" questioned Buell.
"Leslie it were. Bent uses a 45-90 caliber. Thet shot we heerd was from the
little 38--the kid's gun."
"Wal, it was a narrer escape fer Greaser," said Bud. "Leslie's sore, an'
he'll shoot fer keeps. Buell, you've started somethin'."
When Bill had washed the blood off the Mexican it was found that the ball
had carried away the lower part of the ear, and with it, of course, the
The Young Forester |
