The power that grants life to a baby. Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, there lived a king. Despite his immense wealth, there was always a hint of sorrow on his face. It turned out that the king had no offspring. While the king was grieving, one day his wife expressed her craving for a snake's tongue. Although he had prayed to God countless times for a child without success, he was overjoyed to hear this and declared:

— Whoever brings me the snake's tongue that satisfies my wife’s craving, I will marry my only sister to him and make him my son-in-law. One thing to note: it must be the tongue of the famous Afita-Abzhylan, the king of the snakes in the Sahara, — he said. As the saying goes, "Hope is the devil," those who were tempted by wealth and the beautiful sister of the king set off for the Sahara. Among them was a merchant's son named Azу, who lived in that city. Azу was born wrapped in a snake's skin. To test his own skin's benefits, he set off for the snake's lair, filled with hope. On his way, he stumbled upon human bones scattered everywhere. "They must be other contenders like me," he thought, realizing that he was only alive thanks to his skin. After enduring many hardships, he finally reached the Sahara. Once at the lair, he quickly mingled with the snakes. One day, the king of snakes announced that he needed a cook who could prepare food very well. Among those who were tested, Azу excelled. He used all the skills he had. In a short time, Azу became a close favorite of Afita-Abzhylan. While engaging in conversation, he learned that the king's soul was in a ring he wore. Afita accidentally revealed this while slightly intoxicated. One day, Azу prepared a sweet dish and added a sleeping potion to it, then fed it to Afita-Abzhylan. When Afita fell into a deep sleep, Azу took the ring, split it in half, cut off the tongue, and slipped away into the darkness of the night. The snakes only realized what had happened when the sun rose, and despite searching high and low, they could not find him. The reason for Azу's easy escape was that after leaving the Sahara, he returned to his human form. Safely back home, Azу presented the snake's tongue to the king and married his sister. The king, delighted with the dish, soon welcomed a son. A grand celebration was held. As they say, "When there’s a feast, the foolish rejoice," the snake that had been searching for Azу also attended this celebration. Recognizing Azу by his scent, it struck him once. Holding a grudge, it returned to its lair. Upon returning, it told others this news. Upon hearing this, the snakes became furious and vowed to take revenge on humanity. Through their venomous tongues, they sought to harm mankind and afflict their offspring with disease. Afita-Abzhylan's wife, Flita-Abzhylan, announced that she would set out to kill Azу herself. When Afita-Abzhylan passed away, she could not be by his side as she had gone far away on a visit. After some time, Flita-Abzhylan came to the kingdom. While searching for Azу, she peered through the curtains of a house and saw a young child in a cradle. This newborn was the heir to the throne. She resolved to take her anger out on this child. Taking advantage of the absence of anyone at home, she descended from the curtains. Just as she was about to approach the child, a woman entered through the door. The snake froze in surprise. The queen, flustered, cried out:

— O my God! How can I condemn my only child to death? When I gave birth, I craved the snake's tongue, and now will my child also perish from that same snake's tongue? No, no, please save him! — she pleaded. At that moment, she suddenly remembered something and rushed towards the milk that was on the stove. Holding the milk in front of the snake, she said:

— O Abzhylan! Do not harm my only child! I feel in my heart that you seek revenge. I will not give my child to you. If that is the case, then take me instead. I am also a mother, born of mother’s milk. My child and all other creatures were born of mother’s milk. You also fed on mother’s milk, just like us. The essence of all living things is milk. It is sacred and revered. That is why the Creator has forbidden spilling it on the ground. And I will pour this milk over your head. Just for my child, only for the life of my one and only, I will forsake my customs. O Abzhylan, treacherous one! May your poison lose its power through this milk! O my Creator, grant my wish! — she cried, throwing the milk at the snake. At that moment, indeed, the snake lost all its power. The sacred strength of the milk enchanted away its venom and might. The snake stood dazed for a moment before slithering out the door. From that moment on, all snakes would lose their might upon seeing milk. When they entered a house and were doused with white liquid, they would slip away. This trait must have been inherited from their distant ancestors.