One afternoon, a mother put her little baby to sleep. Then she decided to go to the woods to collect strawberries for her. After searching for a while, she found a bush with the reddest of strawberries. They were very sweet and juicy. Unfortunately, she did not see the venomous snake hiding there. As she bent to pick up the strawberries, the snake raised its head. She was very afraid and ran fast, but the snake followed her.
Finally, she came to a hazel bush. She decided to hide behind the bush until the snake was gone. When the snake had left, she came out and collected the strawberries. Then she looked gratefully at the hazel bush and said, “The hazel bush has protected me today, so it will protect others in the future too,” and left to go home.
From that day onwards, a green hazel branch has become the surest protection against snakes and other creeping creatures.