| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay: "The lake is underneath," said Tydomin.
Maskull looked curiously about him. Beyond the crater the country
sloped away in a continuous descent to the skyline. Behind them, a
narrow path channelled its way up through the rocks toward the
towering summit of the pyramid. Miles away, in the north-east
quarter, a long, flat - topped plateau raised its head far above all
the surrounding country. It was Sant - and there and then he made up
his mind that that should be his destination that day.
Tydomin meanwhile had walked straight to the gulf, and set down
Crimtyphon's body on the edge. In a minute or two, Maskull joined
her; arrived at the brink, he immediately flung himself at full
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Whirligigs by O. Henry: "Eight minutes," said the playwright. "The entire
play consumes but thirty."
"You may go ahead," said the sergeant. "Most of
you seem to side against the little lady. Maybe she had
a right to crack up a saucer or two in that restaurant.
We'll see how she does the turn before we take that up."
The matron of the police station had been standing
near, listening to the singular argument. She came
nigher and stood near the sergeant's chair. Two or
three of the reserves strolled in, big and yawning.
"Before beginning the scene," said the playwright, "and
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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: men make these things--and worse."
"Always more blood when I come near, even to the things the
Man-Pack have made," said Mowgli disgustedly. He was getting a
little tired of the weight of the ankus. "If I had known this,
I would not have taken it. First it was Messua's blood on the
thongs, and now it is Hathi's. I will use it no more. Look!"
The ankus flew sparkling, and buried itself point down thirty
yards away, between the trees. "So my hands are clean of Death,"
said Mowgli, rubbing his palms on the fresh, moist earth.
"The Thuu said Death would follow me. He is old and white
and mad."
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 Complete Angler by Izaak Walton: rivers, and on the sea shore. And this will be no wonder to any that have
travelled Egypt; where, 'tis known, the famous river Nilus does not only
breed fishes that yet want names, but, by the overflowing of that river,
and the help of the sun's heat on the fat slime which the river leaves on
the banks when it falls back into its natural channel, such strange fish
and beasts are also bred, that no man can give a name to; as Grotius in
his Sopham, and others, have observed.
But whither am I strayed in this discourse. I will end it by telling you,
that at the mouth of some of these rivers of ours, Herrings are so
plentiful, as namely, near to Yarmouth in Norfolk, and in the west
country Pilchers so very plentiful, as you will wonder to read what our
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