| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Monster Men by Edgar Rice Burroughs: where they had found Muda Saffir--then the fellow expired
without having an opportunity to divulge the secret hiding
place of the treasure, over the top of which his body lay.
Now Bulan had been an interested witness of all
that transpired. At first he had been inclined to come
out of his hiding place and follow von Horn, but so much
had already occurred beneath the branches of the great
tree where the chest lay hidden that he decided to wait
until morning at least, for he was sure that he had by
no means seen the last of the drama which surrounded
the heavy box. This belief was strengthened by the
The Monster Men |
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 Little Rivers by Henry van Dyke: malignity in the woods. The mildest is represented by the winged
idiot that John Burroughs' little boy called a "blunderhead." He
dances stupidly before your face, as if lost in admiration, and
finishes his pointless tale by getting in your eye, or down your
throat. The next grade is represented by the midges. "Bite 'em no
see 'em," is the Indian name for these invisible atoms of animated
pepper which settle upon you in the twilight and make your skin
burn like fire. But their hour is brief, and when they depart they
leave not a bump behind. One step lower in the scale we find the
mosquito, or rather he finds us, and makes his poisoned mark upon
our skin. But after all, he has his good qualities. The mosquito
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