| 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: his body had become invisible. His reflection was still in the glass,
and he knew that his body existed the same as before; but although he
yet saw plainly the hall and all that it contained, he could see
neither himself nor any other person of flesh.
After waiting a considerable time for his esquire to reappear Prince
Marvel became impatient.
"What have you done with Nerle?" he asked of the Red Rogue.
"Nothing," was the reply. "I have been here, plainly within your
sight, every moment."
"Let me go and find him!" exclaimed King Terribus, and rushed into the
castle before the prince could reply. But Terribus also encountered
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 Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving: his path; and if, by chance, a huge blockhead of a beetle came
winging his blundering flight against him, the poor varlet was
ready to give up the ghost, with the idea that he was struck with
a witch's token. His only resource on such occasions, either to
drown thought or drive away evil spirits, was to sing psalm tunes
and the good people of Sleepy Hollow, as they sat by their doors
of an evening, were often filled with awe at hearing his nasal
melody, "in linked sweetness long drawn out," floating from the
distant hill, or along the dusky road.
Another of his sources of fearful pleasure was to pass long
winter evenings with the old Dutch wives, as they sat spinning by
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Three Taverns by Edwin Arlington Robinson: And most of them are children all their lives.
The good God in his wisdom had them so,
That now and then a madman or a seer
May shake them out of their complacency
And shame them into deeds. The major file
See only what their fathers may have seen,
Or may have said they saw when they saw nothing.
I do not say it matters what they saw.
Now and again to some lone soul or other
God speaks, and there is hanging to be done, --
As once there was a burning of our bodies
|
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 Within the Tides by Joseph Conrad: woman with Bamtz, had been very startled and annoyed at first, she
explained.
"She busied herself in attending to the boy; and nobody looking
into that room would have seen anything suspicious in those two
people exchanging murmurs by the sick-bedside.
"'But now they think I am a better man than Bamtz ever was,' she
said with a faint laugh.
"The child moaned. She went down on her knees, and, bending low,
contemplated him mournfully. Then raising her head, she asked
Davidson whether he thought the child would get better. Davidson
was sure of it. She murmured sadly: 'Poor kid. There's nothing
Within the Tides |
