| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: drowning, instead of being thankful to God for my deliverance,
having first vomited, with the great quantity of salt water which
had got into my stomach, and recovering myself a little, I ran
about the shore wringing my hands and beating my head and face,
exclaiming at my misery, and crying out, 'I was undone, undone!'
till, tired and faint, I was forced to lie down on the ground to
repose, but durst not sleep for fear of being devoured."
Some days after this, and after I had been on board the ship, and
got all that I could out of her, yet I could not forbear getting up
to the top of a little mountain and looking out to sea, in hopes of
seeing a ship; then fancy at a vast distance I spied a sail, please
Robinson Crusoe |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Rinkitink In Oz by L. Frank Baum: them captives. You wouldn't ask me to break my promise,
would you?"
"King Gos was a robber and an outlaw," she said, "and
p'r'aps you don't know that a storm at sea wrecked his
boat, while he was going back to Regos, and that he and
Queen Cor were both drowned."
"Dear me!" exclaimed Kaliko. "Is that so?"
"I saw it in Glinda's Record Book," said Dorothy. "So
now you trot out the King and Queen of Pingaree as
quick as you can."
"No," persisted the contrary Nome King, shaking his
Rinkitink In Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Light of Western Stars by Zane Grey: Soon cowboys appeared riding barebacked horses, driving in others
and the burros. Some of these horses were taken away and
evidently hidden in deep recesses between the crags. The string
of burros were packed and sent off down the trail in charge of a
cowboy. Nick Steele and Monty returned. Then Stewart appeared,
clambering down the break between the cliffs.
His next move was to order all the baggage belonging to Madeline
and her guests taken up the cliff. This was strenuous toil,
requiring the need of lassoes to haul up the effects.
"Get ready to climb," said Stewart, turning to Madelines party.
"Where?" asked Helen.
The Light of Western Stars |
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 Chinese Boy and Girl by Isaac Taylor Headland: a joke at the priest's expense as in the nursery rhymes and
games, but there was none. That would injure the sale of the
book. The inscription told us that "a Buddhist lantern will
reflect light enough to illuminate the whole universe."
Turning to the next page we found a priest sitting in
front of the temple in the act of beating his wooden drum,
while the poet exclaims:
O crystal pool and silvery moon,
So clear and pure thou art,
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