This unnamed White Snake is a main character in the story Hilda and Twig: Hide from the Rain.
Appearance[]
The Snake returned to her true form; the treasure.
In animal form, the snake is a colossal animal, dwarving any other creature seen in the story. Twig even imagines the snake wrapping itself entirely around Hilda's house. She is mostly white and has green eyes.
However, her true form is that of a huge treasure, hidden in a burial mound. She only shows this form to the bravest of souls.
Personality[]
The snake takes her duty to guard the treasure very seriously. She has respect for Twig as she considers the little Deer-Fox to be a prince among animals, but has no qualms about eating other creatures or even humans.
Biography[]
The snake has been living in the burial mound in the wilderness for an unknown amount of time, but likley several millennia as Johanna theorizes the burial mound itself is thousands of years old.
The snake is first seen when Hilda, Twig and a group of forest animals are seeking shelter from the rain in the burial mound. They notice a drawing of the snake on one of the walls, to which one of the mice in the group theorizes the burial mound might be the lair of a gigantic snake. When Twig, just to ease his own mind, takes a look outside for any potential danger, he finds himself face to face with the snake. Hilda and the animals are unaware of the danger. To save them, Twig lures the snake away from the mound, deeper into the woods.
The snake catches him eventually, but does not eat Twig. In fact, she is fascinated by the little Deer-Fox, as she has never seen an animal like him before. She thinks Twig must be a prince among animals. When Twig denies this, the snake claims she understands Twig as he too does not quite belong.
Twig and the snake spend some time bonding, during which the snake reveals she is the guardian of a treasure that only the bravest of souls can find. The snake herself however considers the beauties of nature to be a real treasure for creatures like herself and Twig. The two are spotted by a bird whom Hilda had asked to go look for Twig. The bird returns to the burial mound to warn the others. When the animals learn the snake is real, they panic and leave the mound in a hurry. They don’t get far as they soon bump into Twig and the snake. Twig tries to tell the animals the snake means no harm, but is proven wrong when the Snake promptly eats all the other animals. Twig is horrified by this and realizes he must keep the Snake from ever finding Hilda, or her house, or the snake will eat Hilda too.
Then the snake hears music, coming from the burial mound. The music is from Hilda, playing her flute. The snake makes her way back to the hill, with Twig desperately trying to divert her attention elsewhere. His attempts are in vain however. As the snake is about to enter the burial mound, Twig admits that he is friend with a human and said human is now hiding inside the snake's house. He boldly states he won't let the snake eat Hilda. The snake loses her respect for Twig and suggests he goes home now. The snake enters the mound. Summoning his courage, Twig charges after the snake to defend Hilda. He thus proves himself worthy of finding the treasure and the snake reverts back to her true form. Hilda is not in the mound however as she had been found there by her mom just before the snake arrived.
Twig decides to leave the treasure where it is. He tells the snake/treasure that he is no prince, but like her he is a guardian. As Twig leaves with Hilda, the forest animals emerge from the treasure, having survived being eaten.
Some days later, Hilda tries to find the burial mound again but is unable to. Twig remembers where it is, but intentionally leads her in a different direction. The snake watches them as they walk away.