| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen: his head had got jammed in between the iron railings of the hospital. "That's
what it is, no doubt," said he. "I must do something in time: under such
circumstances a Russian bath might do me good. I only wish I were already on
the upper bank"*
*In these Russian (vapor) baths the person extends himself on a bank or form,
and as he gets accustomed to the heat, moves to another higher up towards the
ceiling, where, of course, the vapor is warmest. In this manner he ascends
gradually to the highest.
And so there he lay on the uppermost bank in the vapor-bath; but with all his
clothes on, in his boots and galoshes, while the hot drops fell scalding from
the ceiling on his face.
Fairy Tales |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from One Basket by Edna Ferber: chiffon. The woman reached across the table and put one pudgy,
jeweled hand on Terry's arm. "He'll be through in ten minutes.
Now listen to me. I left Jim four years ago, and there hasn't
been a minute since then, day or night, when I wouldn't have
crawled back to him on my hands and knees if I could. But I
couldn't. He wouldn't have me now. How could he? How do I know
you've quarreled? I can see it in your eyes. They look just the
way mine have felt for four years, that's how. I met up with
this boy, and there wasn't anybody to do the turn for me that I'm
trying to do for you. Now get this. I left Jim because when he
ate corn on the cob he always closed his eyes and it drove me
One Basket |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Odyssey by Homer: little; if any one of the others wishes to go to bed let him
leave us and do so; he can then take my master's pigs out when
he has done breakfast in the morning. We too will sit here
eating and drinking in the hut, and telling one another stories
about our misfortunes; for when a man has suffered much, and
been buffeted about in the world, he takes pleasure in recalling
the memory of sorrows that have long gone by. As regards your
question, then, my tale is as follows:
"You may have heard of an island called Syra that lies over
above Ortygia, {134} where the land begins to turn round and
look in another direction. {135} It is not very thickly peopled,
The Odyssey |
