| 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: speak when the dholes are dead. Good hunting all!"
He hurried off into the darkness, wild with excitement, hardly
looking where he set foot, and the natural consequence was that
he tripped full length over Kaa's great coils where the python
lay watching a deer-path near the river.
"Kssha!" said Kaa angrily. "Is this jungle-work, to stamp and
tramp and undo a night's hunting--when the game are moving so
well, too?"
"The fault was mine," said Mowgli, picking himself up. "Indeed
I was seeking thee, Flathead, but each time we meet thou art
longer and broader by the length of my arm. There is none like
The Second Jungle Book |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Kenilworth by Walter Scott: "Hang him, a mechanical chuff!" said the mercer; "but for shame,
it were a good deed to ease him of his wares--a set of peddling
knaves, who stroll through the land, and hurt the established
trader. There are good fellows in Berkshire yet, mine host--your
pedlar may be met withal on Maiden Castle."
"Ay," replied mine host, laughing, "and he who meets him may meet
his match--the pedlar is a tall man."
"Is he?" said Goldthred.
"Is he?" replied the host; "ay, by cock and pie is he--the very
pedlar he who raddled Robin Hood so tightly, as the song says,--
'Now Robin Hood drew his sword so good,
Kenilworth |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Red Seal by Natalie Sumner Lincoln: Penfield looked at her critically for a moment before continuing
his questions. She bore his scrutiny with composure.
"Officer O'Ryan has testified that you informed him you examined
the windows of your house," he said, after a brief wait. "Did you
find any unlocked?"
"Yes; one was open in the little reception room off the front door."
"What floor is the room on?"
"The ground floor."
"Would it have been easy for any one to gain admittance through the
window without attracting attention in the street?" was Penfield's
next question.
The Red Seal |
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 Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy: and at the same moment a light came into the eyes of both.
"Golenishtchev!"
"Vronsky!"
It really was Golenishtchev, a comrade of Vronsky's in the Corps
of Pages. In the corps Golenishtchev had belonged to the liberal
party; he left the corps without entering the army, and had never
taken office under the government. Vronsky and he had gone
completely different ways on leaving the corps, and had only met
once since.
At that meeting Vronsky perceived that Golenishtchev had taken up
a sort of lofty, intellectually liberal line, and was
Anna Karenina |
