| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde: "'Have you mended the hole in the roof yet, little Hans?' cried the
Miller in a cheery voice.
"'It is quite mended,' answered little Hans, coming down the
ladder.
"'Ah'! said the Miller, 'there is no work so delightful as the work
one does for others.'
"'It is certainly a great privilege to hear you talk,' answered
little Hans, sitting down, and wiping his forehead, 'a very great
privilege. But I am afraid I shall never have such beautiful ideas
as you have.'
"'Oh! they will come to you,' said the Miller, 'but you must take
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: the fellow was a future great sculptor and perfectly harmless; but
he had been swallowing lots of night air which had got into his
head apparently.
Mills peered at me with his friendly but awfully searching blue
eyes through the cloud of smoke he had wreathed about his big head.
The slim, dark Captain's smile took on an amiable expression.
Might he know why I was addressed as "Young Ulysses" by my friend?
and immediately he added the remark with urbane playfulness that
Ulysses was an astute person. Mills did not give me time for a
reply. He struck in: "That old Greek was famed as a wanderer -
the first historical seaman." He waved his pipe vaguely at me.
 The Arrow of Gold |