Brunwella Plonk, also known by many as Madame Plonk, is the current singer at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree and sister to Thora Plonk, the Rogue Smith of Silverveil. She is a female Snowy Owl, or Bubo scandiacus, from the Northern Kingdoms. Madame Plonk is known to have a magnificent voice. She sings to a harp plucked by nest maid snakes, also known as the Harp Guild.
History[]
Lost Tales of Ga'Hoole[]
Brunwella Plonk was one of the two daughters of Berrick, a retired Kielian League soldier. Berrick had lost his mate, Thea, in the War of the Ice Claws. and soon took another mate named Rodmilla. Rodmilla treated Brunwella kindly while her sister, Thora Plonk, was treated cruelly because of her gray scale disease that made her feathers look splotchy. After a tearful goodbye, Thora left her family to travel through the Northern Kingdoms and didn't return for at least a year. During this time, Brunwella grew to become a beautiful Snowy Owl and was recognized to have a beautiful singing voice. Brunwella often wondered where her father went to because he would be gone for days at a time.
When the news of the death of Melvonia Plonk, singer at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, reached the Firth of Canis, Rodmilla was franitc about having Thora practice so she could replace her by singing at the auditions. This was met with suspicion from the two sisters, who both knew that Brunwella was the better singer. To make matters worse, Rodmilla would be the hostess to the young Marquis Henryk VI, and his parents, Marquis Henryk V and Marquise Gertrude. Rodmilla planned to marry off Brunwella to the young Henryk, much to her horror. Unfortunately, the inevitable happened and the young Henryk proposed. With Brunwella's dreams in jeopardy (the singer at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree had to be without a mate), Thora thought up of a plan to ensure her sister's dreams would come true and that Rodmilla's suspicious actions would be addressed when they talked to their father on Dark Fowl Island.
Brunwella was shocked to realize that her own father was a member of the Resistance. On the night of the auditions, Thora and Brunwella switched places and Brunwella sang an old gadfeather ballad that ensured her place as the next singer at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree.
On their way to Dark Fowl Island, Thora and Brunwella were met by Torsten, a member of the Resistance, who informed them that Sigfried had been grievously wounded in a raid on the Ice Talons' headquarters. While Thora went to visit Sigfried, Brunwella and Torsten flew back to the Firth of Canis to look for Berrick. Upon arriving at her birth hollow, Brunwella found that it had been ransacked from top to bottom. Fortunately, they found Berrick alive and well. Berrick and Brunwella deduced by the ink footprints on the floor that Rodmilla was the culprit (actually a slipgizzle for the League of Ice Talons and also because she was missing a talon on her left foot). Berrick, Brunwella and Torsten arrived back at the Resistance hideout just as Sigfried sacrificed himself to save Thora from Rodmilla. Before Brunwella could do a thing, Berrick was killed by an Ice Talons guard and Rodmilla. Despite the losses, Thora was able to kill Rodmilla with a pair of battle claws and Resistance reinforcements arrived to finish off the Ice Talons guards. After the Final Ceremony, Thora and Brunwella went their separate ways and left the Northern Kingdoms to pursue their own destinies: Thora as the Rogue Smith of Silverveil and Brunwella as the new singer at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree.
The Journey[]
When the band arrived at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, Soren didn't know what music was. When Strix Struma told him to return to his hollow for First Light and listen to Madame Plonk's harp, he told her this, but she said he would find out if he listened. After hearing Madame Plonk's song, Soren thought to himself that he had never felt so peaceful. Later, as Soren flew around the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, he met Madame Plonk before she had to sing Evensong. She invited him to drop by anytime for a cup of milkberry tea. When talking to Bubo, Soren found out that they went way back and that Madame Plonk had a special relationship with Trader Mags, so she could get what she wanted such as pieces of glass for Bubo. Soren also suspected that Bubo and Madame Plonk were closer than what he said they were. After learning of Mrs. Plithiver's desire to join the harp guild of nestmaid snakes, Soren managed to convince Madame Plonk to let Mrs. Plithiver become a G-flat snake in the harp guild. It turned out to be the right choice, because Madame Plonk sounded even better than before and that her choice had a maestro's touch to add to her own magnificent voice.
The Rescue[]
During the Harvest Festival, Madame Plonk made a spectacle of herself while she was tipsy. She was also seen doing a silly jig with Bubo, much to the disgust of Otulissa. While the band was making their breakaway from the festivities to visit the Rogue Smith of Silverveil, Madame Plonk passed out from drinking too much milkberry beverages. In Silverveil, it was the memory of Brunwella that convinced the Rogue Smith of Silverveil to show the band to her forge and talk to them about Ezylryb's disappearance.
The Outcast[]
Before the arrival of the new monarch of the Great Tree, Coryn, Madame Plonk stopped singing for some days to mourn for her sister, who had been murdered by Nyra.
The Golden Tree[]
While King Coryn and the band were out, a group of owls began the worship of the Ember of Hoole, resulting in new guilds. Madame Plonk was chosen to sing hymns for the Ember. But she began going frantic when her coronation teacup that has the picture of Queen E. (possibly Queen Elizabeth) on it was demanded for a container for the ashes of the ember. She requested Otulissa to keep the teacup for her and hide it, which the spotted owl reluctantly did. Nevertheless, Otulissa's act was discovered and was placed in a newly-made prison. Madame Plonk was in grieve, but still had to sing for the rituals. During the last verse, her voice cracked.
Madame Plonk decided to make up for Otulissa by going out to find Coryn and the band. Even thought she was under "tree arrest" (forbidden to leave the tree), she managed to convince the GGE (Guardians of the Guardians of the Ember) that she needs time alone for her voice to improve. Also she was inspired by the act of the Snow Rose. Madame Plonk was given directions by Bubo as she left. During her mission, she tried to keep her head clear of distractions and the guilt for Otulissa. But by the time she rested at daytime, she began blaming herself and her teacup. A Snowy Owl wearing a crow feather saw that she was distressed and went down to comfort her. After telling her tale, the Snowy Owl introduced himself as Doc Finebeak, the best tracker of the Southern Kingdoms and once tracked down Nyroc (Coryn) for Nyra. He offered his aid in helping find the band and Coryn. During their search, Plonk tried to find a nickname for Finebeak such as "Docky" and "Beakie."
The two Snowies managed to find the band and the king in the middle of a battle in the canyonlands. Doc Finebeak immediately rushed to help. Plonk was about to protest about her condition, when she suddenly sang a C-sharp that was high enough to shatter mica rocks, which stunned some vyrrwolves. Digger told her to keep singing and help an injured Twilight. After the battle, Plonk used her wings to fan Twilight, while Finebeak and Soren went to get Slynella and Stingyll, the Flying Snakes of Ambala, to cure Twilight. Twilight did make it through and all seven owls returned to the great tree.
Upon returning, the band and Coryn disposed of the worship objects and dealed with the GGE. Coryn then offered Madame Plonk back her coronation teacup. At first she refused, but Coryn and Finebeak insisted it as she was owl through and through.
The River of Wind[]
Madame Plonk's voice improved, and she shared her hollow with Doc Finebeak after his retirement and began calling him "Docky." She enjoyed drinking tea with him and thought he was handsome as he went out to help find Pelli's daughter, Bell.
Exile[]
Madame Plonk had been teaching Blythe, Soren and Pelli's daughter, to sing. Also, Doc Finebeak had become her new mate, She and Blythe were forbidden to sing due to the influence of the mysterious Striga over Coryn. The Great Grass Harp has been broken of their strings, making Plonk distressed. Doc Finebeak wanted to get Plonk out of the tree for her safety during the Striga's burning of "vanities." However, he couldn't refuse her for singing on Punkie Night. Several of Madame Plonk's apartment's wares were taken by the Blue Brigade. Some of them were saved, however, including her coronation teacup.
The War of the Ember[]
Singing was allowed again at the Great Tree, along with the other arts as the Striga had been driven away. Plonk allowed Blythe to sing during the opening of the Milkberry Harvest Festival. Later, Madame Plonk was sent to the Northern Kindoms to recruit kraals and gadfeathers.
The Keepers of the Keys[]
Though she does not appear, given that a new Plonk, Madame Luella Plonk, is now the new singer for the tree, and given that Brunwella was a contemporary of Ezylryb's, with both of them being alive during the War of the Ice Claws, and the fact that Soren himself is now quite old, it can be presumed that she is deceased by this time.
Legend of the Guardians:The Owls of Ga'Hoole []
Madame Plonk was not named, but briefly appeared in a singing choir with Bubo, Dewlap and some other owls.
Personality[]
Madame Plonk is kind, free willed, and devoted to many things. She loves her job as the Great Tree singer, and also loves shiny and sparkly things, such as the wares Trader Mags sells. However, she is also a very vain owl. In the last couple of books of the series, she falls in love with Doc Finebeak--another Snowy Owl who was known for his fine tracking abilities. They are very close and call each other cute little names such as "Docky" or "Plonkie". As vain as she may seem, she did free Otulissa in the time of the Golden Tree and she flew to warn the Band. She confessed to herself that she was vain and fat, and she scolded herself for it, making her try even harder to find the Band.
Gallery[]
