| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Myths and Myth-Makers by John Fiske: ignorant peasants, nurses, or house-servants, in Germany and
Hindustan, in Siberia and Scotland. Yet, as Mr. Cox observes,
these old men and women, sitting by the chimney-corner and
somewhat timidly recounting to the literary explorer the
stories which they had learned in childhood from their own
nurses and grandmas, "reproduce the most subtle turns of
thought and expression, and an endless series of complicated
narratives, in which the order of incidents and the words of
the speakers are preserved with a fidelity nowhere paralleled
in the oral tradition of historical events. It may safely be
said that no series of stories introduced in the form of
Myths and Myth-Makers |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Allan Quatermain by H. Rider Haggard: the left wing to take over the command and explain my absence.'
'You will do your best to save her, Quatermain?' he said in a
broken voice.
'Ay, that I will. Go on; you are being left behind.'
He cast one glance at us, and accompanied by his staff galloped
off to join the advance, which by this time was fording the little
brook that now ran red with the blood of the fallen.
As for Umslopogaas and myself, we left that dreadful field as
arrows leave a bow, and in a few minutes had passed right out
of the sight of slaughter, the smell of blood, and the turmoil
and shouting, which only came to our ears as a faint, far-off
Allan Quatermain |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Enchanted Island of Yew by L. Frank Baum: to oppose you, being sure they could not do you an injury. But no
more of such fooling,--and pray forgive my merry game at your expense.
Henceforth we shall be friends, and you are heartily welcome to the
best my kingdom affords."
With this speech Terribus stepped down from his throne and approached
Prince Marvel with outstretched hand. The prince was not at all
deceived, but he was pleased to see how cunningly the king excused his
attempts to kill him. So he laughed and touched the hand Terribus
extended, for this fairy prince seemed to have no anger against any
mortal who ventured to oppose him.
The strangers were now conducted, with every mark of respect, to a
The Enchanted Island of Yew |
