After his introduction on the Serpentine line and his family members, the action begins one afternoon as he is resting in a hole up in a willow tree. His sleep is interrupted by three Egrets who speak of the mythical Lightning bird that landed among them with an announcement regarding serpents. The news is shocking to the lethal snake, who with his deadly fangs considers himself a supreme hunter, but to the birds the news is hilarious. The Lightning bird then issues a challenge that only the Snake would understand if he could see beyond his humiliation and his pride, and embark on a quest into the kingdom of the birds to learn about Life. He is relentlessly inquisitive and does not fear answers that show him up in a less than perfect light. He takes a lively interest in each meeting with the 21 different birds and gradually surpasses his ignorance with astonishing revelations about Life. He is determined to find out more about his nefarious ancestor and his subversive doings in the Garden of Eden. His commentary is candid, witty and often surprising.