| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Mad King by Edgar Rice Burroughs: have left, sire. What good would be accomplished by rob-
bing me of her if you could not gain her by the act? Win
her confidence and love, sire. It may be done. Thus only
may happiness result to you and to her."
"You see," exclaimed the king, "what your loyalty amounts
to! I believe that you are saving her for the impostor--I
have heard as much hinted at before this. Nor do I doubt
that she would gladly connive with the fellow if she thought
there was a chance of his seizing the throne."
Von der Tann paled. For the first time righteous indigna-
tion and anger got the better of him. He took a step toward
 The Mad King |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Tik-Tok of Oz by L. Frank Baum: ribbon around my neck?"
"Yes; and I'm astonished that a dignified dragon
should wear such a silly thing."
"Do you see it plainly?" persisted the dragon,
with a little chuckle of amusement.
"I do," declared Ruggedo.
"Then you no longer possess any magical powers,
and are as helpless as a clam," asserted Quox. "My
great master, Tititi-Hoochoo, the Jinjin,
enchanted this ribbon in such a way that whenever
Your Majesty looked upon it all knowledge of magic
 Tik-Tok of Oz |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle: his room. He drank a great deal of brandy and smoked very
heavily, but he would see no society and did not want any
friends, not even his own brother.
"He didn't mind me; in fact, he took a fancy to me, for at the
time when he saw me first I was a youngster of twelve or so. This
would be in the year 1878, after he had been eight or nine years
in England. He begged my father to let me live with him and he
was very kind to me in his way. When he was sober he used to be
fond of playing backgammon and draughts with me, and he would
make me his representative both with the servants and with the
tradespeople, so that by the time that I was sixteen I was quite
 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes |