| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Koran: that thou shouldst forge against us something else, and then they
would have taken thee for a friend; and had it not been that we
stablished thee, thou wouldst have well-nigh leant towards them a
little then would we have made thee taste of torment both of life
and death, then thou wouldst not have found against us any helper.
And they well-nigh enticed thee away from the land, to turn thee out
therefrom; but then- they should not have tarried after thee except
a little.
[This is] the course of those of our prophets whom we have sent
before thee; and thou shalt find no change in our course.
Be thou steadfast in prayer from the declining of the sun until
 The Koran |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Buttered Side Down by Edna Ferber: excuse me if I say God bless you. I've never really wanted to say
it before, so it's quite extraordinary. My name's Guy Peel."
The white glove, with its too-conspicuous black stitching,
disappeared within his palm.
"Mine's Mercedes Meron, late of the Morning Glory Burlesquers,
but from now on Sadie Hayes, of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. Good-bye
and--well--God bless you, too. Say, I hope you don't think I'm in
the habit of talking to strange gents like this."
"I am quite sure you are not," said Guy Peel, very gravely,
and bowed slightly before he went south on Clark Street, and she
went north.
 Buttered Side Down |