The Three Languages

Once upon a time, an old count lived in Switzerland. He had an only son, but the boy was slow and couldn't seem to learn anything. The father said, "Listen, my son, I can't get anything into your head, no matter how hard I try. You must leave home.

I will send you to a famous teacher, and we'll see what he can do with you." The youth was sent to a strange town and stayed with the teacher for a whole year. When he came home, his father asked, "Now, my son, what have you learned?" "Father, I have learned what the dogs say when they bark." "Heaven help us!" cried the father.

"Is that all you have learned? I will send you to another teacher in another town." So the youth was sent there and stayed another year. When he returned, the father asked again, "My son, what have you learned?" He answered, "Father, I have learned what the birds say." The father flew into a rage and said, "Oh, you useless boy, you have wasted precious time and learned nothing!

Aren't you ashamed to show your face to me? I will send you to a third teacher, but if you learn nothing this time, I will no longer be your father." The youth stayed with the third teacher for a whole year.

When he came home, his father asked, "My son, what have you learned?" He answered, "Dear father, this year I have learned what the frogs croak." Then the father became furiously angry. He jumped up, called his servants, and said, "This man is no longer my son. I cast him out.

Take him into the forest and kill him." The servants took him out, but when they were about to kill him, they couldn't do it because they felt sorry for him. So they let him go.

To bring proof to the old count, they cut out the eyes and tongue of a deer and took them home.

The youth wandered on. After some time, he came to a fortress and asked for a night's lodging. "Yes," said the lord of the castle, "you may spend the night down in the old tower if you wish. But I warn you, it is at the risk of your life.

The tower is full of wild dogs that bark and howl without stopping. At certain hours, a man has to be given to them, and they devour him at once." The whole region was filled with sorrow and fear because of the dogs, and no one could stop them.

But the youth was fearless. He said, "Just let me go down to the barking dogs, and give me something to throw to them. They won't harm me." Since he insisted, they gave him some food for the wild animals and led him down to the tower.

When he went inside, the dogs did not bark at him. Instead, they wagged their tails in a friendly way, ate what he set before them, and did not hurt a single hair on his head. The next morning, to everyone's astonishment, he came out safe and unharmed.

He said to the lord of the castle, "The dogs have told me in their own language why they live there and cause trouble. They are bewitched and must guard a great treasure hidden below the tower. They cannot rest until it is removed.

I have also learned from their talk how to do it." Everyone who heard this rejoiced. The lord of the castle said he would adopt the youth as a son if he succeeded. The youth went down again, and knowing what to do, he did it thoroughly.

He brought out a chest full of gold. The howling of the wild dogs was never heard again. They had disappeared, and the land was freed from the plague.

After some time, the youth decided to travel to Rome. On the way, he passed by a marsh where many frogs were croaking. He listened to them, and when he understood what they were saying, he became very thoughtful and sad. At last he arrived in Rome.

The Pope had just died, and there was great difficulty in choosing a successor. They finally agreed that the person chosen as Pope should be distinguished by a divine and miraculous sign. Just as they decided this, the young count entered the church.

Suddenly, two snow-white doves flew onto his shoulders and stayed there. The church leaders recognized this as the sign from above and asked him on the spot if he would be Pope. He was unsure and didn't know if he was worthy, but the doves advised him to accept.

At last he said yes. Then he was anointed and consecrated. This fulfilled what he had heard from the frogs on his way – that he would become His Holiness the Pope. When he had to sing Mass, he didn't know a single word of it, but the two doves sat on his shoulders and whispered everything into his ear.