Horace Plithiver (Books)

Books Movie

"Hope is never a foolish thing - although others will tell you it is."

- Mrs. Plithiver, The Journey, page 118

Horace Plithiver (Books)
Description
Species:	Books: Blind Snake (Ramphotyphlops braminus) Movies: Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis)
Gender:	Female
Family
Family and Relatives:	N/A
Book Appearances
Appears in:	The Capture, The Journey, The Rescue, The Siege, The Shattering, The Burning, The Hatchling, The Outcast, The Golden Tree, The River of Wind, Exile, The War of the Ember
Movie Appearances
Appears in:	Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
Details
Former Nest-maid of Noctus, Marella, Soren, Kludd and Eglantine

Mrs. Plithiver (full name Horace Plithiver) more commonly called Mrs. P., is an elderly rosy-colored blind nest-maid snake that appears in almost every book.

She once served as nest-maid to Soren's family, but when Marella and Noctus were killed by their son Kludd, and all three owlets went missing, she went with the band on their journey to the Great Ga'Hoole Tree after being reunited with Soren, and served tea at the Great Tree and joined the harp guild.

History

The Capture

Mrs. Plithiver was Soren's nest-maid snake. She sensed how Kludd had pushed Soren out of the nest, and tried to get help from Hilda, another nest-maid. Soren's evil brother said if she did he would eat her and tried to do so, but Mrs. Plithiver managed to escape.

Later Soren found Mrs. Plithiver in Kuneer under a tree stump while he was out hunting. She accompanied the band to the Great Ga'Hoole Tree by riding on Soren's back while he flew.

Mrs. P. had always sensed something was wrong with Kludd, but did not take it seriously until he tried to eat her. She explained to Soren that Kludd had been jealous of Soren since he hatched out and that he pushed him out of the nest.

The Journey

At the Great Tree she joined the harp guild, which is one of the guilds for the nest-maid snakes. She accompanied Madame Plonk in her singing, and had a maestro's touch. She was somehow able to sense that Elgantine was alive, and helped Soren hope she was alive as well. She also served as a table for the young owls at mealtimes.

The Rescue

Mrs. P. did everything she could to comfort Eglantine when she found out her parents were dead.

The Shattering

Mrs. Plithiver, being a blind snake, who posess extraordinary powers beyond sight, started to notice something wrong with Eglantine.

The Golden Tree

Mrs.Plithiver is seen talking to Octavia about the excuse she made so that she didn't need to play the harp for the ember rituals.

The River of Wind

Mrs. P joined the Band as the they journeyed to the Middle Kingdom. Along the way, she lost her tail in the tumblebones. Digger nearly yeeped but she assured him that she's not a rattler and wont her tail again

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

Mrs. P. does not play as much of a role in the film adaption of the books. She appears to not be blind in the movie, oddly enough. She is seen at the start of the film, constantly watching over and tending to the needs of Soren, Kludd, and Eglantine. When Soren comes back from doing some branching, Mrs. P. is seen trying to help Eglantine yarp her first pellet. When Soren and Gylfie escape from St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls and meet Twilight and Digger, Twilight brings Mrs. P. to the hollow shared by him and Digger to serve for the band. Soren instantly recognizes her, and insists to Twilight she is not for dinner. As in the books, Mrs. P. and Twilight seem to be quite unfound of each other.

She stays in Twilight's lute when they are flying. When Twilight's lute is stolen by crows, Digger is very thankful, but then he and the others remember Mrs. P. is in there, and they rescue her from the pests. When they reach the Echidna, he names Mrs. P. the heart of the family.

Later when Allomere returns from his recon mission, Mrs. P. goes to the two owlets he brought back. She recognized one of the owlets as Eglantine and called for Soren. Then after the Guardians set out, the scene changes to Soren sitting by a moon-blinked Eglantine. Mrs. Plithver is seen curled on top of the nest looking down at her. When Soren says he wants to trade places with her sister, she makes a worried remark and welcomes Eglantine after she snaps out of it. Her last appearance is when Soren's mother and father, who were still alive in the movie, watched Soren land. She only stands straight with a happy look, then is not seen again.

Personality

Mrs. Plithiver is an elderly nest-maid snake that seems to be a grandmotherly figure to the band. In the film, the Echidna dubs her the heart of the band, soon to be family. She rarely is angered at her loved ones and whenever she "swears," the other owls are deeply stunned. However, she is almost always gentle and loving to the owls of the great tree, and often gives them advice or guidance whenever they are at a loss.

Trivia

• In the film adaption, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole she is voiced by Miriam Margoyles.
• She appears to have eyes in the movie, whilst in the books she just had indents. She was likely given eyes to make her appear less scary, while her eyes do seem to look blind.
• In the movie credits, she's listed as Mrs. Plithiver, despite only ever being called Mrs. P in the movie.