Who Is The Giant Serpent (as an Old Man) (Uwabami)?

The Giant Serpent, called uwabami in Japanese, is a huge snake that appears in the classic rakugo tale Tanokyu as the lord of the mountain, living in a mountain hut disguised as a white-haired old man.

In Episode 12, he mishears the name of Kyubei, who comes asking for lodging, as "tanuki" and demands, "Show me your transformation." Impressed by Kyubei's quick changes, he believes him to be a fellow shape-shifter and lets slip that what he hates most is "tobacco tar and persimmon tannin." After Kyubei tells the villagers, they drive the serpent away with tar and tannin, so in revenge the serpent throws money, the thing Kyubei claimed to "fear," into his house. It's a punchline where the lie pays off, just like in Manju Kowai.