trial & error
Were Thranduil to know of the comparison, however slight, he would have rolled over in whatever gilded grave he found himself in. Had James known of it, he might have been rather pleased. The golden thief did have rather pretty hair, after all.
"Right, well!" James chimed cheerfully. "Learn somethin' new every day!" Meaning to slither off, with scales or feet it hardly mattered, the snake abruptly stopped at the shocking offer of tutelage. "Oh" He all but purred, flashing long lashes at the Sword. "Go on then. Can'ya teach me to fly as well? That'd be a right trick."
"Right, well!" James chimed cheerfully. "Learn somethin' new every day!" Meaning to slither off, with scales or feet it hardly mattered, the snake abruptly stopped at the shocking offer of tutelage. "Oh" He all but purred, flashing long lashes at the Sword. "Go on then. Can'ya teach me to fly as well? That'd be a right trick."
but mostly error. like, a shitload of error