Elfreda is initially described as a beautiful circus performer with a love of snakes. Jeff Loundes, a man who has had a life-long hatred for snakes, to the point of killing any snake he sees, is smitten with her charm and her performances in the circus. Very soon, Loundes proposes to her, but finds out to his horror that she has the supernatural power of transforming things into snakes. Elfreda reveals that she sought out Loundes to avenge the death of pitdown snakes that he had murdered earlier in his life, despite the protestations of an elderly woman. Loundes tries to escape from Elfreda, but he falls in a pit of snakes. As Elfreda approaches the pit and Loundes pleads with her not to kill him, she discloses mysteriously that her plan was never to kill him. She then magically transforms Loundes into one of her pet snakes. She is later depicted showing her new snake, which she calls “Jeff”, to the circus manager.
Description Elfreda is initially described as a beautiful circus performer with a love of snakes. Jeff Loundes, a man who has had a life-long hatred for snakes, to the point of killing any snake he sees, is smitten with her charm and her performances in the circus. Very soon, Loundes proposes to her, but finds out to his horror that she has the supernatural power of transforming things into snakes. Elfreda reveals that she sought out Loundes to avenge the death of pitdown snakes that he had murdered earlier in his life, despite the protestations of an elderly woman. Loundes tries to escape from Elfreda, but he falls in a pit of snakes. As Elfreda approaches the pit and Loundes pleads with her not to kill him, she discloses mysteriously that her plan was never to kill him. She then magically transforms Loundes into one of her pet snakes. She is later depicted showing her new snake, which she calls “Jeff”, to the circus manager.
