There was a very clear stream in the middle of a big forest. Every day, a cow and a snake would drink from this stream at different times. A bird was always watching them.
One day, the bird met the cow and asked, “You drink this water every day. What does drinking it do for you?”
The cow answered, “By drinking the water, I make milk, and my children can live on this milk. It helps them grow strong and healthy.”
The next day, the bird asked the snake, “What does drinking water do for you?”
The snake replied, “By drinking water, I make poison. I use this poison to protect myself.”
At first, the bird was puzzled and struggled to understand. He thought deeply about how the same water could turn into milk for one and poison for another, and finally, he got it.
A cow produces milk by drinking water. A snake also produces poison by drinking the same water. Water is water, and it has whatever quality it can give on its own.