The Pooka

**The Pooka** is a shapeshifting creature first seen in the tie-in novel "Hilda and the Fairy Village". He also appears in Season 3 of the animated series.

## Appearance

The Pooka is a yellow, bipedal, humanoid creature with a beak. He is a little shorter than Hilda. In the books, Hilda describes him as squishy looking, and that his huge watery eyes make him look like a Play-Doh baby.

## Personality

The Pooka is a greedy character who often greedily 'borrows' things from Auntie Astrid and doesn't return them. However, despite his rude behavior, he is harmless and mainly acts as comic relief.

## Abilities

The Pooka can morph his body to assume a wide variety of shapes, be it human or animal. However, he cannot change the color of his skin and despite his best efforts his basic appearance remains unchanged. Hence he is always easily recognizable.

He can fly if he shapeshifts into a flying creature, like a Woff.

## Biography

### Animated series

The Pooka first shows up in "Chapter 1: The Train to Tofoten", when he comes to Astrid's house to borrow an egg cup. Astrid is not happy to see the creature, and demands to see what he has in his burlap bag. She takes the bag from him, and finds out it contains a Woff egg.

When Hilda, Johanna, David, Frida and Tontu return the Woff Egg to the Woff cave, the Pooka follows them and steals the egg while the group is enjoying a brief picknick. Hilda and Twig follow him. Hilda pretends to be impressed and asks the Pooka to show her his shapeshift abilities, but after she asks him to turn into a snake, he can no longer hold onto the egg, and Hilda easily takes it back.

The Pooka follows them into the Woff Cave. When the Woff Egg hatches, he is just as charmed by the young Woff as everyone else. When the Woff leave the cave, giving Hilda and friends a ride, the Pooka follows them by shapeshifting into a Woff.

In "Chapter 2: The Fairy Mound", Hilda and friends encounter him while he is imitating a rabbit. They all instantly recognize him, much to his dismay. Later, he shows up at Astrid's House to borrow a casserole dish to wash his feet in. Johanna refuses at first, but agrees when he offers to tell her where Hilda, David and Frida went in return. Johanna thus learns the three kids went to an actual Fairy Mound.

In "Chapter 8: The Fairy Isle", just as Johanna is trying to call Astrid to warn her that Hilda is on her way to Tofoten, the Pooka knocks at Astrid's door again, this time to ask for a suit. Johanna is thus unable to reach Astrid and decides to go to Tofoten herself. When she arrives there, the Pooka, now dressed in a fancy suit, greets her. Later in the episode, when it seems that Astrid traded her life for Johanna's with The Fairy Entity, Hilda informs the Pooka there's no point in coming to Astrid's house anymore. The Pooka actually looks hurt because of this news, and is just as happy as the others when Astrid turns out to be alive. He is last seen returning to her all the stuff he borrowed, and she in turn gives him the wooden hammer and pineapple he asked her for last time.

### Tie-in books

The plot of the Pooka stealing a Woff egg is adapted into "Chapter 1: The Train to Tofoten", with the difference that Hilda tricks him into turning into a snake while still at Astrid's house, after which Astrid asks Loam to return the egg to the Woff Cave.

Despite this bad start, the Pooka does join Hilda, Astrid and the others for breakfast.

Later, when Hilda is about to go to the Fairy Mound to rescue Anders, she runs into the Pooka again, who is now imitating a walrus. He asks for a cushion and Hilda gives it to him.

The Pooka is last seen when Johanna runs into him after returning to Astrid's house from her trip to the Tofoten trainstation. The Pooka is now imitating David. To proof he can also do David's voice, he repeats the last dialogue he heard David say to his friends, which tips off Johanna that David, Frida and Hilda went back to the Fairy Mound and might be in danger.

## Gallery

Pooka shapeshifting - Tie-in book.On Season 3 poster.In the Season 3 opening sequence.SnakeformWoff form.
## Trivia

* The Pooka is likely based on the Púca from Celtic mythology. This creature was also a shapeshifter capable of assuming a variety of terrifying or pleasing forms.