THE CHARM THAT
by Oliver Herford · from The Fairy Godmother-in-law
Adapted Version
Once there was a snake. He was very proud. He loved to show off.
The Snake was very proud. He loved to show off. He said, "I can make any bird look at me." He thought he was the best. He was not bad. He just liked to charm birds. He wanted them to watch him.
A Little Fairy heard The Snake. She thought it was funny. She found a pretty Toy Bird. It was old. A person forgot it. The fairy put it in a garden. The Snake could see it there.
The Snake saw The Toy Bird. "Aha!" he said. "This bird will look at me." He felt very proud. He thought it was easy. He would make it watch him.
The Snake wiggled his body. He stared at The Toy Bird. He tried to make it look. He made a special glance. But The Toy Bird did not move. It was very, very still.
The Snake tried for a long time. The Toy Bird still did not move. The Snake felt a little angry. "Why won't it look at me?" he thought. He did not know it was a toy.
The Snake stood on his tail. He swayed side to side. He always made birds look! This trick always worked. But The Toy Bird did not move. It was very, very still.
The Snake was very mad now. He stood on his head! He stared hard at The Toy Bird. His eyes were wide. But The Toy Bird did not move. It was very, very still.
"I will make it look!" The Snake shouted. He was very, very angry. He coiled his body. He got ready to jump. He would not stop.
The Snake jumped very fast! Oh no! A sharp stick was in The Toy Bird. The stick hurt The Snake badly. He made a sad sound.
The Snake stopped moving. He was very, very still. The Toy Bird did not move. It did not say a word. It was just a toy.
So, The Snake learned a hard lesson. It is not good to be too proud. Things are not always what they seem. The Toy Bird never moved. It never said a word.
Original Story
THE CHARM THAT
FAILED
The Hero of my tale
The Hero of my tale
Was a serpent—don’t turn pale!
My snake was not the “serpent” of Theology
With an apple up his sleeve
To tempt some child of Eve,
Nor was he versed in deadly Toxicology.
No, his fangs were free from guile,
And he had a roomy smile.
There was no more harmless snake in all Zoology.
But since no creature known
Is perfect, I will own
He had one failing—vanity, alas! innate.
He was also fond of sport,
Though not a cruel sort:
His aim was more to charm than to assassinate.
He was often heard to say,
When feeling rather gay,
“I’d like to see the Bird I cannot fascinate!”
And one day
Some laughter-loving Fay
His boasting heard,
And sent a Bird.
It was sitting, stuffed and stiff on
A thing of straw and chiffon,
Ribbands and lace and jet and such like finery,
By a milliner begotten
And some careless maid forgotten,
In stuffed and lonely splendor in the Vinery,
When with expectant eye
Mr. Serpent, by and by,
Strolled forth in search of game from out the Pinery.
And the Bird
Never stirred
Or said a word.
“Aha!” said Mr. Snake,
“Unless I much mistake,
Here’s a charming subject for a Trance Hypnotic;
Soon I’ll have her in my toils!”
And with mysterious coils
He advanced with air complacent and despotic.
Then he rose up, and let fly
A glance from out his eye,
And watched for the effect of his narcotic.
And the Bird
Never stirred
Or said a word.
Said Mr. Snake, “My spell
Seems to work extremely well.”
And straightway with Majestic Pride he puffed,
But when an hour had pass’d,
And still the Bird stood fast,
I must confess he felt a trifle huff’d.
“There’s something wrong,” said he,
“With the Bird—or else with me.”
How should he know the wretched thing was stuffed?
That Bird,
Who never stirred
Or said a word.
Mr. Snake was sorely troubled,
And his efforts he redoubled,
And he balanced on the tip end of his tail,
Swaying to and fro the while
Like a pendulum—a style
That hitherto he’d never known to fail.
But not a word she uttered,
And not a feather fluttered
As he plied his mystic Art without avail.
“Confound the bird!” he said,
And he stood upon his head
And waved his long mysterious tail in air,
And he focussed all the rays
Of his esoteric gaze
Into one cold and petrifying glare.
But the Deadly Glance fell wide;
He might as well have tried
To hypnotize a table or a chair—
As that Bird,
Who never stirred
Or said a word.
“That settles it!” he cried.
“I will not be defied!”
And he coiled himself to spring—oh, rash proceeding!
Like an arrow from a bow
He sprang—how should he know
The Doom to which he was so swiftly speeding?
Next moment he lay dead,
With a Hat Pin through his head,
Whereat, with most commendable good-breeding—
The Bird
Never stirred
Or said a word.
Story DNA
Moral
Overconfidence and vanity can lead to one's downfall, especially when one fails to understand the true nature of a situation.
Plot Summary
A vain but harmless serpent boasts that he can hypnotize any bird. A mischievous Fay, hearing his claim, sends a forgotten, stuffed hat decoration in the shape of a bird for him to charm. The serpent, unaware the 'bird' is inanimate, attempts various hypnotic techniques with increasing frustration as it remains completely still. In a fit of rage and defiance, the serpent springs at the unmoving object, only to be impaled and killed by a hidden hat pin, while the stuffed bird, of course, never stirs.
Themes
Emotional Arc
pride to humility to tragic surprise
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Oliver Herford was an English writer and illustrator known for his humorous verse and whimsical drawings, often playing on common phrases or expectations.
Plot Beats (10)
- The narrator introduces a vain but harmless serpent who boasts about his ability to fascinate any bird.
- A mischievous Fay overhears the serpent's boast and sends a 'bird' for him to charm, which is actually a forgotten, stuffed hat decoration in a Vinery.
- The serpent discovers the stuffed bird and confidently declares it a perfect subject for his hypnotic trance.
- He performs his mysterious coils and casts a powerful glance, expecting the bird to fall under his spell, but it remains motionless.
- After an hour, the serpent becomes huffed, believing something is wrong with either him or the bird, unaware it is stuffed.
- He redoubles his efforts, balancing on his tail and swaying like a pendulum, a technique that has never failed him before, but the bird still does not stir.
- Frustrated, he stands on his head and focuses an intense, petrifying glare, but it has no effect on the inanimate object.
- Enraged by the perceived defiance, the serpent cries out that he will not be defied and coils himself to spring.
- He springs like an arrow, only to be impaled through the head by a hat pin hidden within the stuffed bird.
- The serpent dies instantly, and the stuffed bird, with commendable good-breeding, never stirs or says a word.
Characters
Mr. Serpent ★ protagonist
A snake of unspecified length and build, but described as having a 'roomy smile' and fangs free from guile, implying a non-threatening, perhaps even jovial, appearance for a serpent. His coils are mysterious, and he is capable of balancing on his tail and standing on his head.
Attire: None, as he is a snake.
Wants: To charm and fascinate creatures, proving his own power and vanity. He wants to be seen as irresistible.
Flaw: Overwhelming vanity and overconfidence, which blinds him to reality and leads to his downfall. He also lacks discernment.
He begins as a boastful and confident charmer, but his encounter with the stuffed bird leads to increasing frustration and confusion. His inability to charm the bird challenges his core belief about himself, culminating in a rash act that results in his death.
Vain, boastful, complacent, persistent, easily huffed, and ultimately rash. He believes strongly in his own charming abilities.
Image Prompt & Upload
A green garden snake, approximately three feet long, with smooth scales, a wide, friendly-looking mouth that suggests a 'roomy smile', and large, expressive golden eyes. It is balancing perfectly upright on the tip of its tail, swaying gently to one side, with its body forming a graceful S-curve. Its head is held high, looking forward with a confident, slightly puzzled expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Bird ⚔ antagonist
A small, stiff, and motionless bird, described as 'stuffed and stiff' and made of 'straw and chiffon, ribbands and lace and jet and such like finery'. It is a milliner's creation, forgotten by a maid.
Attire: Adorned with 'ribbands and lace and jet and such like finery', suggesting decorative elements typical of a milliner's creation, possibly imitating fashionable bird hats of the era.
Wants: None, as it is an inanimate object. Its 'motivation' is simply its existence as a forgotten, decorative item.
Flaw: It is inanimate and vulnerable to physical damage, as shown by the hat pin.
Remains unchanged throughout the story, serving as a static foil to Mr. Serpent's dynamic efforts. Its stillness is its power.
Unresponsive, unyielding, and completely passive due to being inanimate. It inadvertently frustrates and ultimately defeats Mr. Serpent.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, taxidermied bird, about six inches tall, with dull brown and grey feathers, adorned with delicate, faded blue silk ribbons, white lace trim, and small black jet beads. It is perched stiffly on a small, straw-like base, facing forward with unblinking, dark glass eyes. A long, slender silver hat pin with a small, round pearl head is visibly impaled through its head. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Laughter-loving Fay ○ minor
Not explicitly described, but as a 'Fay', she would likely be small, ethereal, and graceful, perhaps with delicate wings.
Attire: Not explicitly described, but would likely be light, flowing, and natural, perhaps made of leaves or flower petals, befitting a fairy.
Wants: To humble Mr. Serpent by challenging his boast.
Flaw: Not applicable, as she is a minor, almost omniscient character.
A static character who initiates the conflict but does not change.
Mischievous, amused, and enjoys playing tricks on the boastful.
Image Prompt & Upload
A tiny, ethereal female fairy, no taller than a thumb, with translucent, iridescent dragonfly wings. She has delicate features, a mischievous smile, and long, flowing, shimmering silver hair. She wears a dress made of interwoven green leaves and tiny dewdrop beads. She is hovering lightly in the air, looking down with an amused expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
The Vinery
A glass-enclosed structure, likely a greenhouse or conservatory, filled with plants. It contains a forgotten, stuffed bird display.
Mood: Quiet, still, slightly neglected, with an underlying sense of expectation.
The boastful serpent encounters the unmoving, stuffed bird, attempting to hypnotize it.
Image Prompt & Upload
A sun-drenched Victorian-era vinery interior, with large arched glass panes forming the roof and walls. Lush green grapevines with ripening clusters hang from trellises, casting dappled shadows on the terracotta tile floor. In the foreground, on a small, ornate wrought-iron table, sits a taxidermied bird, adorned with faded silk ribbons and jet beads, looking stiff and still. Warm, filtered sunlight streams through the glass, highlighting dust motes in the air. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
The Pinery
A forest or grove dominated by pine trees, from which the serpent emerges.
Mood: Natural, wild, serving as the serpent's domain before his venture.
Mr. Serpent emerges from this area, seeking game and boasting of his charming abilities.
Image Prompt & Upload
A dense, ancient pine forest at the edge of a clearing, with tall, straight pine trunks rising towards a clear sky. The ground is thickly carpeted with rust-colored pine needles and scattered cones, interspersed with patches of dark green moss. Sunlight filters through the dense canopy, creating sharp contrasts of light and shadow on the forest floor. A subtle, earthy scent of pine hangs in the air. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
