| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Second Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling: a Sunnyasi, or holy man, was considered nothing extraordinary.
He had been, as the Old Law recommends, twenty years a youth,
twenty years a fighter,--though he had never carried a weapon in
his life,--and twenty years head of a household. He had used his
wealth and his power for what he knew both to be worth; he had
taken honour when it came his way; he had seen men and cities
far and near, and men and cities had stood up and honoured him.
Now he would let those things go, as a man drops the cloak he no
longer needs.
Behind him, as he walked through the city gates, an antelope
skin and brass-handled crutch under his arm, and a begging-bowl
The Second Jungle Book |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Call of Cthulhu by H. P. Lovecraft: gradually from social visibility, and was now known only to a
small group of esthetes from other towns. Even the Providence
Art Club, anxious to preserve its conservatism, had found him
quite hopeless.
On the ocassion of the visit, ran the professor's
manuscript, the sculptor abruptly asked for the benefit of his
host's archeological knowledge in identifying the hieroglyphics
of the bas-relief. He spoke in a dreamy, stilted manner which
suggested pose and alienated sympathy; and my uncle showed some
sharpness in replying, for the conspicuous freshness of the tablet
implied kinship with anything but archeology. Young Wilcox's rejoinder,
Call of Cthulhu |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Tales of the Klondyke by Jack London: The woman obeyed the behest of her white lord. To her the
ceremony was meaningless. By her lights she was his wife, and had
been from the day they first foregathered. The converts served as
witnesses. Bill stood over the missionary, prompting him when he
stumbled. Stockard put the responses in the woman's mouth, and
when the time came, for want of better, ringed her finger with
thumb and forefinger of his own.
"Kiss the bride!" Bill thundered, and Sturges Owen was too weak to
disobey.
"Now baptize the child!"
"Neat and tidy," Bill commented.
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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 Wrong Box by Stevenson & Osbourne: 'Is that in print?' cried Pitman. 'Let me see it! Bent? It must
be Dent! SOMETHING TO MY ADVANTAGE? Mr Finsbury, excuse me
offering a word of caution; I am aware how strangely this must
sound in your ears, but there are domestic reasons why this
little circumstance might perhaps be better kept between
ourselves. Mrs Pitman--my dear Sir, I assure you there is nothing
dishonourable in my secrecy; the reasons are domestic, merely
domestic; and I may set your conscience at rest when I assure you
all the circumstances are known to our common friend, your
excellent nephew, Mr Michael, who has not withdrawn from me his
esteem.'
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