Literary notes about piebald (AI summary)
The term "piebald" in literature is most often used to evoke a striking, dual-toned appearance, particularly when describing horses but sometimes extending to other objects or even human features. It typically denotes a natural patchwork of contrasting colors—often dark and light—that can evoke a sense of rustic charm and vividness in the narrative. Authors employ it to immediately capture the reader’s imagination, whether in scenes of adventure featuring a uniquely marked steed ([1], [2], [3]), or in more humorous or satirical portrayals where even a character’s clothing or peculiar traits might be described as piebald ([4], [5]). In some passages, the adjective serves as a visual shorthand for diversity or anomaly, suggesting that the subject stands out from its peers by virtue of its unusual patterning ([6], [7], [8]). Across genres from classic epics to modern fables, "piebald" contributes not only descriptive detail but also a broader metaphorical richness to the text.
- "Please," begged Dumpty, summoning all her courage—"please, may the piebald pony take us?"
— from The Empire Annual for Girls, 1911 by Various - Several limes in the old garden had been cut down and a piebald mare and her foal were wandering in front of the house among the rosebushes.
— from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy - A strange and fierce hero, riding a piebald steed, is approaching; and it is plain that he intends to attack us.”
— from Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians by Woislav M. Petrovitch - He shook a musty effluvium from his piebald clothes, overturned my inkstand, and went on with his insufferable nonsense.
— from Sixes and Sevens by O. Henry - His black hair was patched with grey in a piebald design.
— from Kimono by John Paris - In spots, mind you; so that now he was piebald—red, brown, gray, and white.
— from Caybigan by James Hopper - He caught a glimpse of the broad, smooth, black and piebald back of Hollandka.
— from Anna Karenina by graf Leo Tolstoy - Among good omens, one of the most conspicuous is to meet a piebald horse.
— from Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay