| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy: "You must not stay any longer, Prince, after the inspection; you
must go now."
Nekhludoff knew what this meant, went up to the sergeant and
shoved a three-rouble note into his hand.
"Ah, well, what is one to do with you; stay a bit longer, if you
like." The sergeant was about to go when another sergeant,
followed by a convict, a spare man with a thin beard and a bruise
under his eye, came in.
"It's about the girl I have come," said the convict.
"Here's daddy come," came the ringing accents of a child's voice,
and a flaxen head appeared from behind Rintzeva, who, with
Resurrection |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne: a few more steps I was at his side. To my great surprise a
half-finished raft was already lying on the sand, made of a peculiar
kind of wood, and a great number of planks, straight and bent, and of
frames, were covering the ground, enough almost for a little fleet.
"Uncle, what wood is this?" I cried.
"It is fir, pine, or birch, and other northern coniferae, mineralised
by the action of the sea. It is called surturbrand, a variety of
brown coal or lignite, found chiefly in Iceland."
"But surely, then, like other fossil wood, it must be as hard as
stone, and cannot float?"
"Sometimes that may happen; some of these woods become true
Journey to the Center of the Earth |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Baby Mine by Margaret Mayo: pursuit of his hat.
"Why, Allie," she gazed at him with deep reproach. "You liked
this place so much when we first came here."
Again Alfred picked at the lint on his coat sleeve. Edging her
way toward him cautiously she ventured to touch his sleeve with
the brush.
"I'll attend to that myself," he said curtly, and he sank into
the nearest chair to tie a refractory shoe lace.
"Let me brush you, dear," pleaded Zoie. "I don't wish you to
start out in the world looking unbrushed," she pouted. Then with
a sly emphasis she added teasingly, "The OTHER women might not
|
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 Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum: embroidered with queer symbols in silver--a costume which contrasted
strongly with their snow-white fur.
First, they pushed in a big red ball and three of the rabbit jugglers
stood upon its top and made it roll. Then two of them caught up a
third and tossed him into the air, all vanishing, until only the two
were left. Then one of these tossed the other upward and remained
alone of all his fellows. This last juggler now touched the red ball,
which fell apart, being hollow, and the five rabbits who had
disappeared in the air scrambled out of the hollow ball.
Next they all clung together and rolled swiftly upon the floor. When
they came to a stop only one fat rabbit juggler was seen, the others
The Emerald City of Oz |
