| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Wrong Box by Stevenson & Osbourne: steam with a deafening clamour. It was a part of the field not
yet gleaned by the rescuing party. The ground, especially on the
margin of the wood, was full of inequalities--here a pit, there a
hillock surmounted with a bush of furze. It was a place where
many bodies might lie concealed, and they beat it like pointers
after game. Suddenly Morris, who was leading, paused and reached
forth his index with a tragic gesture. John followed the
direction of his brother's hand.
In the bottom of a sandy hole lay something that had once been
human. The face had suffered severely, and it was unrecognizable;
but that was not required. The snowy hair, the coat of marten,
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Tin Woodman of Oz by L. Frank Baum: fibre-like vines, dried and tough, that looked like
strings.
"Get to work, Til," commanded King Bal. "Panta has
just exploded."
The lady Loon picked up the bunch of skin and
examined it carefully until she discovered a hole in
one foot. Then she pulled a strand of string from her
sash, and drawing the edges of the hole together. she
tied them fast with the string, thus making one of
those curious warts which the strangers had noticed on
so many Loons. Having done this, Til Loon tossed the
The Tin Woodman of Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Tales of Unrest by Joseph Conrad: she began to suspect her daughter was going mad. She asked,
pressingly--
"Does Jean know where you are? Where is Jean?"
"He knows . . . he is dead."
"What!" cried the old woman. She came up near, and peering at her
daughter, repeated three times: "What do you say? What do you say?
What do you say?"
Susan sat dry-eyed and stony before Madame Levaille, who
contemplated her, feeling a strange sense of inexplicable horror creep
into the silence of the house. She had hardly realised the news,
further than to understand that she had been brought in one short
Tales of Unrest |
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 Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas: Loret, Pellisson, La Fontaine? If I must tell you the truth,
Porthos, that poet disgraces you."
"Eh! -- my friend; but what saves us is that he is not here
as a poet."
"As what, then, is he?"
"As printer. And you make me remember, I have a word to say
to the cuistre."
"Say it, then."
Porthos made a sign to Jupenet, who perfectly recollected
D'Artagnan, and did not care to come nearer; which naturally
produced another sign from Porthos. This was so imperative,
Ten Years Later |
