| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Enchanted Island of Yew by L. Frank Baum: with. He had been lost in a forest and nearly starved to death. He
had been robbed and beaten and left wounded and sore by the wayside.
He had begged from door to door and been refused food or assistance.
In short, his story was so delightful that it made me envy him, and I
yearned to suffer as he had done. When I could speak with him alone I
said: 'Pray tell me how I can manage to acquire the misfortunes you
have undergone. Here I have everything that I desire, and it makes me
very unhappy.'
"The stranger laughed at me, at first; and I found some pleasure in
the humiliation I then felt. But it did not last long, for presently
he grew sober and advised me to run away from home and seek adventure.
The Enchanted Island of Yew |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum: upon the marble pavements, so that the way was carpeted thick with
roses for the procession to walk upon.
Then came the Rulers of the four Kingdoms of Oz: the Emperor of the
Winkies, the Monarch of the Munchkins, the King of the Quadlings and
the Sovereign of the Gillikins, each wearing a long chain of emeralds
around his neck to show that he was a vassal of the Ruler of the
Emerald City.
Next marched the Emerald City Cornet Band, clothed in green-and-gold
uniforms and playing the "Ozma Two-Step." The Royal Army of Oz
followed, consisting of twenty-seven officers, from the Captain-General
down to the Lieutenants. There were no privates in Ozma's Army because
The Road to Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Polly of the Circus by Margaret Mayo: confident by the expression on her face that at last he was
master of the situation. "Do you think he would like you to
behave like this?"
"I sure am on the blink," she sighed, as she settled back wearily
upon the pillow.
"You'll be all right soon," Douglas answered, cheerily. "Mandy
and I will help the time to go."
"I recollect now," Polly faltered, without hearing him. "It was
the last hoop. Jim seemed to have a hunch I was goin' to be in
for trouble when I went into the ring. Bingo must a felt it,
too. He kept a-pullin' and a-jerkin' from the start. I got
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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 The Lesser Bourgeoisie by Honore de Balzac: Beaumesnil. Charles Crochard, who was a handsome fellow, was said to
have the run of it--"
"Yes, yes," cried Cerizet, "I remember Mademoiselle Beaumesnil's
embarrassment when she gave her testimony--and also the total
extinction of voice that attacked her when the judge asked her age."
"The robbery," continued du Portail, "was audaciously committed in the
daytime; and no sooner did Charles Crochard get possession of the
casket than he went to the church of Saint-Sulpice, where he had an
appointment with an accomplice, who, being supplied with a passport,
was to start immediately with the diamonds for foreign parts. It so
chanced that on entering the church, instead of meeting the man he
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