| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Confidence by Henry James: Bernard's for an instant, and for some reason, at this moment,
Bernard flushed.
He rose quickly and walked away to the window where he stood
looking out into the darkness. "The devil--the devil!"
he murmured to himself; "she does n't even know we are to be married--
Gordon has n't been able to trust himself to tell her!"
And this fact seemed pregnant with evidence as to Gordon's
state of mind; it did not appear to simplify the situation.
After a moment, while Bernard stood there with his back turned--
he felt rather awkward and foolish--he heard Blanche begin with her
little surprised voice.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Selected Writings of Guy De Maupassant by Guy De Maupassant: left for some time, so that He might not guess anything; then I
took off my boots and put on my slippers carelessly; then I
fastened the iron shutters and going back to the door quickly I
double-locked it with a padlock, putting the key into my pocket.
Suddenly I noticed that He was moving restlessly round me, that
in his turn He was frightened and was ordering me to let Him out.
I nearly yielded, though I did not quite, but putting my back to
the door, I half opened it, just enough to allow me to go out
backward, and as I am very tall, my head touched the lintel. I
was sure that He had not been able to escape, and I shut Him up
quite alone, quite alone. What happiness! I had Him fast. Then I
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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 Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: them again. Our caravan rested three nights at the town, which was
about four miles off, in order to provide some horses which they
wanted, several of the horses having been lamed and jaded with the
long march over the last desert; so we had some leisure here to put
my design in execution. I communicated it to the Scots merchant,
of whose courage I had sufficient testimony; I told him what I had
seen, and with what indignation I had since thought that human
nature could be so degenerate; I told him if I could get but four
or five men well armed to go with me, I was resolved to go and
destroy that vile, abominable idol, and let them see that it had no
power to help itself, and consequently could not be an object of
Robinson Crusoe |
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 Kwaidan by Lafcadio Hearn: continued to weep,-- hiding her face from him with one of her long sleeves.
"O-jochu," he said again, as gently as he could,-- "please, please listen
to me!... This is no place for a young lady at night! Do not cry, I implore
you! -- only tell me how I may be of some help to you!" Slowly she rose up,
but turned her back to him, and continued to moan and sob behind her
sleeve. He laid his hand lightly upon her shoulder, and pleaded:--
"O-jochu! -- O-jochu! -- O-jochu!... Listen to me, just for one little
moment!... O-jochu! -- O-jochu!"... Then that O-jochu turned around, and
dropped her sleeve, and stroked her face with her hand; -- and the man saw
that she had no eyes or nose or mouth,-- and he screamed and ran away. (2)
Up Kii-no-kuni-zaka he ran and ran; and all was black and empty before
Kwaidan |
