THE THREE LANGUAGES
An aged count once lived in Switzerland, who had an only son, but hewas stupid, and could learn nothing. Then said the father: 'Hark you,my son, try as I will I can get nothing into your head. You must go fromhence, I will give you into the care of a celebrated master, who shallsee what he can do with you.' The youth was sent into a strange town,and remained a whole year with the master. At the end of this time,he came home again, and his father asked: 'Now, my son, what have youlearnt?' 'Father, I have learnt what the dogs say when they bark.' 'Lordhave mercy on us!' cried the father; 'is that all you have learnt? Iwill send you into another town, to another master.' The youth was takenthither, and stayed a year with this master likewise. When he came backthe father again asked: 'My son, what have you learnt?' He answered:'Father, I have learnt what the birds say.' Then the father fell into arage and said: 'Oh, you lost man, you have spent the precious time andlearnt nothing; are you not ashamed to appear before my eyes? I willsend you to a third master, but if you learn nothing this time also, Iwill no longer be your father.' The youth remained a whole year with thethird master also, and when he came home again, and his father inquired:'My son, what have you learnt?' he answered: 'Dear father, I have thisyear learnt what the frogs croak.' Then the father fell into the mostfurious anger, sprang up, called his people thither, and said: 'This manis no longer my son, I drive him forth, and command you to take himout into the forest, and kill him.' They took him forth, but when theyshould have killed him, they could not do it for pity, and let him go,and they cut the eyes and tongue out of a deer that they might carrythem to the old man as a token.
The youth wandered on, and after some time came to a fortress where hebegged for a night's lodging. 'Yes,' said the lord of the castle, 'ifyou will pass the night down there in the old tower, go thither; but Iwarn you, it is at the peril of your life, for it is full of wild dogs,which bark and howl without stopping, and at certain hours a man has tobe given to them, whom they at once devour.' The whole district was insorrow and dismay because of them, and yet no one could do anything tostop this. The youth, however, was without fear, and said: 'Just let mego down to the barking dogs, and give me something that I can throw tothem; they will do nothing to harm me.' As he himself would have it so,they gave him some food for the wild animals, and led him down to thetower. When he went inside, the dogs did not bark at him, but waggedtheir tails quite amicably around him, ate what he set before them, anddid not hurt one hair of his head. Next morning, to the astonishment ofeveryone, he came out again safe and unharmed, and said to the lord ofthe castle: 'The dogs have revealed to me, in their own language, whythey dwell there, and bring evil on the land. They are bewitched, andare obliged to watch over a great treasure which is below in the tower,and they can have no rest until it is taken away, and I have likewiselearnt, from their discourse, how that is to be done.' Then all whoheard this rejoiced, and the lord of the castle said he would adopt himas a son if he accomplished it successfully. He went down again, andas he knew what he had to do, he did it thoroughly, and brought a chestfull of gold out with him. The howling of the wild dogs was henceforthheard no more; they had disappeared, and the country was freed from thetrouble.
After some time he took it in his head that he would travel to Rome. Onthe way he passed by a marsh, in which a number of frogs were sittingcroaking. He listened to them, and when he became aware of what theywere saying, he grew very thoughtful and sad. At last he arrived inRome, where the Pope had just died, and there was great doubt amongthe cardinals as to whom they should appoint as his successor. They atlength agreed that the person should be chosen as pope who should bedistinguished by some divine and miraculous token. And just as that wasdecided on, the young count entered into the church, and suddenly twosnow-white doves flew on his shoulders and remained sitting there. Theecclesiastics recognized therein the token from above, and asked him onthe spot if he would be pope. He was undecided, and knew not if he wereworthy of this, but the doves counselled him to do it, and at length hesaid yes. Then was he anointed and consecrated, and thus was fulfilledwhat he had heard from the frogs on his way, which had so affected him,that he was to be his Holiness the Pope. Then he had to sing a mass, anddid not know one word of it, but the two doves sat continually on hisshoulders, and said it all in his ear.