Description:
From The Road to Oz (1909):
A little girl, radiant and beautiful, shapely as a fairy and exquisitely dressed, was dancing gracefully in the middle of the lonely road, whirling slowly this way and that, her dainty feet twinkling in sprightly fashion. She was clad in flowing, fluffy robes of soft material that reminded Dorothy of woven cobwebs, only it was colored in soft tintings of violet, rose, topaz, olive, azure, and white, mingled together most harmoniously in stripes which melted one into the other with soft blendings. Her hair was like spun gold and flowed around her in a cloud, no strand being fastened or confined by either pin or ornament or ribbon.
Filled with wonder and admiration our friends approached and stood watching this fascinating dance. The girl was no taller than Dorothy, although more slender; nor did she seem any older than our little heroine.
Suddenly she paused and abandoned the dance, as if for the first time observing the presence of strangers. As she faced them, shy as a frightened fawn, poised upon one foot as if to fly the next instant, Dorothy was astonished to see tears flowing from her violet eyes and trickling down her lovely rose-hued cheeks. That the dainty maiden should dance and weep at the same time was indeed surprising; so Dorothy asked in a soft, sympathetic voice:
“Are you unhappy, little girl?”
“Very!” was the reply; “I am lost.”
“Why, so are we,” said Dorothy, smiling; “but we don’t cry about it.”
“Don’t you? Why not?”
“‘Cause I’ve been lost before, and always got found again,” answered Dorothy simply.
“But I’ve never been lost before,” murmured the dainty maiden, “and I’m worried and afraid.”
“You were dancing,” remarked Dorothy, in a puzzled tone of voice.
“Oh, that was just to keep warm,” explained the maiden, quickly. “It was not because I felt happy, I assure you.”
Polychrome is just one of the many daughters of the rainbow – the literal rainbow – and she often dances off her father’s bow and into Oz. After several such adventures she’s used to it – and she seems to have grown up a little – but she always ends up wanting to go home to join her sisters in the sky.
Images (spoilers – click only if you want to see):
How John R. Neill drew Polychrome: 1 2 3 4 5
How Skottie Young drew Polychrome: 1 2
Oz Student Art Contest 