| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Memoir of Fleeming Jenkin by Robert Louis Stevenson: Harbour, as was indeed the case. All that day we lay in Holyhead,
but I could neither read nor write nor draw. The captain of
another steamer which had put in came on board, and we all went for
a walk on the hill; and in the evening there was an exchange of
presents. We gave some tobacco I think, and received a cat, two
pounds of fresh butter, a Cumberland ham, WESTWARD HO! and
Thackeray's ENGLISH HUMOURISTS. I was astonished at receiving two
such fair books from the captain of a little coasting screw. Our
captain said he [the captain of the screw] had plenty of money,
five or six hundred a year at least. - "What in the world makes him
go rolling about in such a craft, then?" - "Why, I fancy he's
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Divine Comedy (translated by H.F. Cary) by Dante Alighieri: I heard its closing sound. Had mine eyes turn'd,
For that offence what plea might have avail'd?
We mounted up the riven rock, that wound
On either side alternate, as the wave
Flies and advances. "Here some little art
Behooves us," said my leader, "that our steps
Observe the varying flexure of the path."
Thus we so slowly sped, that with cleft orb
The moon once more o'erhangs her wat'ry couch,
Ere we that strait have threaded. But when free
We came and open, where the mount above
 The Divine Comedy (translated by H.F. Cary) |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Peter Pan by James M. Barrie: "Mark my words," he said, "it is some nonsense Nana has been
putting into their heads; just the sort of idea a dog would have.
Leave it alone, and it will blow over."
But it would not blow over and soon the troublesome boy gave
Mrs. Darling quite a shock.
Children have the strangest adventures without being troubled
by them. For instance, they may remember to mention, a week
after the event happened, that when they were in the wood they
had met their dead father and had a game with him. It was in
this casual way that Wendy one morning made a disquieting
revelation. Some leaves of a tree had been found on the nursery
 Peter Pan |