"Sning" is a magical character from, "Bearing An Hourglass" (a
fantasy novel by
Piers Anthony. It is the second of eight books in the Incarnations of Immortality series.)
A demonic, though benign, creature, it takes the form of a ring in the shape of a snake (where it gets the
name Norton gave it, standing for SNake rING). While not omniscient, Sning has an incredible amount of information, and appears to be able to learn many things about creatures just by touching them. It can respond to any question asked of it by squeezing the wearer's
finger – one squeeze for yes, two for no, three for uncertainty, complex answers, or inability to answer (for example, if the asker foolishly poses a
non-yes/no question). It can also answer with squeezes representing a number, though Sning is actually quite bad at
math, much to its embarrassment. In addition, it is capable of coming
alive briefly, scouting an area, and reporting back. While
alive, it is approximately six inches long, though it is shown that he can grow, and also poisonous. Its poison is strong enough to make a creature the size of a man sick for several hours, but not to kill.
Sning has a long and complex
history.
"Sning Piers Anthony "Bearing An Hourglass" snake ring SNake rING fantasy novel Incarnations of Immortality
