in bringing back honey "from the cellar of
the Creator." When this has been applied, the dead man
returns to life, sits up, and says in the words of the
Russian heroes--"How long I have slept!"[301]

Here is another instance of a life-giving operation
of a double nature. There is a well-known Indian story
about four suitors for the hand of one girl. She dies,
but is restored to life by one of her lovers, who
happens one day to see a dead child resuscitated, and
learns how to perform similar miracles. In two
Sanskrit versions of the "Vetalapanchavinsati,"[302]
as well as in the Hindi version,[303] the life-giving
charm consists in a spell taken from a book of magic.
But in the Tamil version, the process is described as
being of a different and double nature. According to
it, the mother of the murdered child "by the charm
called _sisupabam_ re-created the body, and, by the
incantation called _sanjivi_, restored it to life."
The suitor, having learnt the charm and the
incantation, "took the bones and the ashes (of the
dead girl), and having created out of them the body,
by virtue of the charm _sisupabam_ gave life to that
body by the _sanjivi_ incantation." According to Mr.
Babington, "Sanjivi is defined by the Tamuls to be a
medicine which restores to life by dissipating a
mortal swoon.... In the text the word is used for the
art of using this medicine."[304]]

As a general rule, the two waters of which mention is made in the
Skazkas possess the virtues, and are employed in the manner, mentioned
above; but there are cases in which their powers are of a different
nature. Sometimes we meet with two magic fluids, one of which heals
all wounds, and restores sight to the blind and vigor to the cripple,
while the other destroys all that it touches. Sometimes, also,
recourse is had to magic draughts of two kinds, the one of which
strengthens him who quaffs it, while the other produces the opposite
effect. Such liquors as these are known as the "Waters of Strength and
Weakness," and are usually described as being stowed away in the
cellar of some many-headed Snake. For the Snake is often mentioned as
the possessor, or at least the guardian, of magic fluids. Thus one of
the Skazkas[305] speaks of a wondrous garden, in which are two springs
of healing and vivifying water,