| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Young Forester by Zane Grey: clattered down that crag with wings guiding my long leaps. No crevice or
jumble of loose stones or steep descent daunted me. I reached the horse,
and, grasping the bridle, I started to lead him. We had zigzagged up, we
went straight down. Target was too spirited to balk, but he did everything
else. More than once he reared with his hoofs high in the air, and, snorting,
crashed down. He pulled me off my feet, he pawed at me with his great
iron shoes. When we got clear of the roughest and most thickly overgrown
part of the descent I mounted him. Then I needed no longer to urge him. The
fire had entered the canyon, the hollow roar swept up and filled Target
with the same fright that possessed me. He plunged down, slid on his
haunches, jumped the logs, crashed through brush. I had continually to rein
The Young Forester |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare: If Hermia meant to say, Lysander lied.
But gentle friend, for loue and courtesie
Lie further off, in humane modesty,
Such separation, as may well be said,
Becomes a vertuous batchelour, and a maide,
So farre be distant, and good night sweet friend;
Thy loue nere alter, till thy sweet life end
Lys. Amen, amen, to that faire prayer, say I,
And then end life, when I end loyalty:
Heere is my bed, sleepe giue thee all his rest
Her. With halfe that wish, the wishers eyes be prest.
A Midsummer Night's Dream |
| 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: girl to go home without ever learning what we really are cut
here. Miss Hammond, Gene Stewart is a fiend when he's drunk.
All the same I know, whatever be did, he meant no shame to you.
Come now, don't think about it again to-night." She took up the
lamp and led Madeline into a little room. "This is out West,"
she went on, smiling, as she indicated the few furnishings; "but
you can rest. You're perfectly safe. Won't you let me help you
undress--can't I do anything for you?"
"You are very kind, thank you, but I can manage," replied
Madeline.
"Well, then, good night. The sooner I go the sooner you'll rest.
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 Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum: which the Winged Monkeys had tossed the carecrow's clothes.
It was a very tall tree, and the trunk was so smooth that no
one could climb it; but the Woodman said at once, "I'll chop it
down, and then we can get the Scarecrow's clothes."
Now while the tinsmiths had been at work mending the Woodman
himself, another of the Winkies, who was a goldsmith, had made an
axe-handle of solid gold and fitted it to the Woodman's axe,
instead of the old broken handle. Others polished the blade until
all the rust was removed and it glistened like burnished silver.
As soon as he had spoken, the Tin Woodman began to chop, and in a
short time the tree fell over with a crash, whereupon the Scarecrow's
The Wizard of Oz |
