| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Kidnapped Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum: Repentance, almost regretfully; "but that cannot be helped now. Their
grief is likely to make the children selfish and envious and hateful,
and if they come to the Caves of the Daemons today I shall get a
chance to lead some of them to my Cave of Repentance."
"Do you never repent, yourself?" asked Santa Claus, curiously.
"Oh, yes, indeed," answered the Daemon. "I am even now repenting that
I assisted in your capture. Of course it is too late to remedy the
evil that has been done; but repentance, you know, can come only after
an evil thought or deed, for in the beginning there is nothing to
repent of."
"So I understand," said Santa Claus. "Those who avoid evil need never
A Kidnapped Santa Claus |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Heritage of the Desert by Zane Grey: leader in war.
"What's the game?" demanded Hare.
"A fair trial for the rustlers, then a rope," replied John Caldwell. The
low ominous murmur swelled through the crowd again.
"There are two men here who have befriended me. I won't see them
hanged."
"Pick them out!" A strange ripple of emotion made a fleeting break in
John Caldwell's hard face.
Hare eyed the prisoners.
"Nebraska, step out here," said he.
"I reckon you're mistaken," replied the rustler, his blue eyes intently
The Heritage of the Desert |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from McTeague by Frank Norris: observed to McTeague. "The--the foundation of society.
It is not good that man should be alone. No, no," he added,
pensively, "it is not good."
"Huh? Yes, yes," McTeague answered, his eyes in the air,
hardly hearing him. "Do you think the rooms are all right?
Let's go in and look at them again."
They went down the hall to where the new rooms were
situated, and the dentist inspected them for the twentieth
time.
The rooms were three in number--first, the sitting-room,
which was also the dining-room; then the bedroom, and back
McTeague |
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 Eve and David by Honore de Balzac: the Landes into cultivation; and followed up the tale with half-a-
dozen similar instances of agricultural and commercial failures nearer
home in the departments of the Charente and Dordogne. He waxed warm
over his recitals. He would not listen to another word. Petit-Claud's
demurs, so far from soothing the stout Cointet, appeared to irritate
him.
"I would rather give more for a certainty, if I made only a small
profit on it," he said, looking at his brother. "It is my opinion that
things have gone far enough for business," he concluded.
"Still you came here for something, didn't you?" asked Petit-Claud.
"What is your offer?"
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