English Original
An aged count once lived in Switzerland, who had an only son, but he was stupid, and could learn nothing. Then said the father, "Hark thee, my son, I can get nothing into thy head, let me try as I will. Thou must go from hence, I will give thee into the care of a celebrated master, who shall see what he can do with thee." 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 hast thou learnt?" "Father, I have learnt what the dogs say when they bark." "Lord have mercy on us!" cried the father; "is that all thou hast learnt? I will send thee into another town, to another master."
The youth was taken thither, and stayed a year with this master likewise. When he came back the father again asked, "My son, what hast thou learnt?" He answered, "Father, I have learnt what the birds say." Then the father fell into a rage and said, "Oh, thou lost man, thou hast spent the precious time and learnt nothing; art thou not ashamed to appear before mine eyes? I will send thee to a third master, but if thou learnest nothing this time also, I will no longer be thy father."
The youth remained a whole year with the third master also, and when he came home again, and his father inquired, "My son, what hast thou learnt?" he answered, "Dear father, I have this year learnt what the frogs croak." Then the father fell into the most furious anger, sprang up, called his people thither, and said, "This man is no longer my son, I drive him forth, and command you to take him out into the forest, and kill him." They took him forth, but when they should have killed him, they could not do it for pity, and let him go, and they cut the eyes and the tongue out of a deer that they might carry them to the old man as a token.
The youth wandered on, and after some time came to a fortress where he begged for a night's lodging. "Yes," said the lord of the castle, "if thou wilt pass the night down there in the old tower, go thither; but I warn thee, it is full of wild dogs, which bark and howl without stopping, and at certain hours a man has to be given to them, whom they at once devour."
The whole district was in sorrow and dismay because of them, and yet no one could do anything to stop this. The youth, however, was without fear, and said, "Just let me go down to the barking dogs, and give me something that I can throw to them; 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 the tower. When he went inside, the dogs did not bark at him, but wagged their tails quite amicably around him, ate what he set before them, and did not hurt one hair of his head.
Next morning, to the astonishment of everyone, he came out again safe and unharmed, and said to the lord of the castle, "The dogs have revealed to me, in their own language, why they dwell there, and bring evil on the land. They are bewitched, and are 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 likewise learnt, from their discourse, how that is to be done."
Then all who heard this rejoiced, and the lord of the castle said he would adopt him as a son if he accomplished it successfully. He went down again, and as he knew what he had to do, he did it thoroughly, and brought a chest full of gold out with him. The howling of the wild dogs was henceforth heard no more; they had disappeared, and the country was freed from the trouble.
After some time he took it into his head that he would travel to Rome. On the way he passed by a marsh, in which a number of frogs were sitting croaking. He listened to them, and when he became aware of what they were saying, he grew very thoughtful and sad. At last he arrived in Rome, where the Pope had just died, and there was great difficulty as to whom they should appoint as his successor.
They at length agreed that the person should be chosen as pope who should be distinguished by some divine and miraculous token. And just as that was decided on, the young count entered into the church, and suddenly two snow-white doves flew on his shoulders and remained sitting there. The ecclesiastics recognized therein the token from above, and asked him on the spot if he would be pope. He was undecided, and knew not if he were worthy of this, but the doves counselled him to do it, and at length he said yes. Then was he anointed and consecrated, and thus was fulfilled what 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, and did not know one word of it, but the two doves sat continually on his shoulders, and said it all in his ear.
中文翻译
从前，瑞士住着一位年迈的伯爵，他只有一个儿子，但这个儿子很愚笨，什么也学不会。于是父亲说：“听着，我的儿子，无论我怎么努力，都无法把知识装进你的脑袋。你必须离开这里，我要把你交给一位著名的导师，看看他能把你教成什么样。”年轻人被送到一个陌生的城镇，和那位导师待了整整一年。
一年后，他回到家，父亲问：“现在，我的儿子，你学到了什么？”“父亲，我学会了狗叫时在说什么。”“上帝怜悯我们！”父亲喊道，“这就是你学到的全部？我要把你送到另一个城镇，交给另一位导师。”
年轻人被送到那里，同样待了一年。当他回来时，父亲又问：“我的儿子，你学到了什么？”他回答：“父亲，我学会了鸟在说什么。”父亲勃然大怒，说：“哦，你这没出息的人，你浪费了宝贵的时间却一无所获；你出现在我眼前不觉得羞愧吗？我要把你送到第三位导师那里，但如果你这次还是什么都没学到，我就不再是你的父亲了。”
年轻人同样在第三位导师那里待了整整一年。当他回到家，父亲询问：“我的儿子，你学到了什么？”他回答：“亲爱的父亲，我今年学会了青蛙呱呱叫时在说什么。”父亲顿时暴跳如雷，跳起来，叫来他的手下，说：“这个人不再是我的儿子了，我把他赶出去，命令你们把他带到森林里杀掉。”他们把他带了出去，但当他们要杀他时，出于怜悯下不了手，就放了他。他们挖出一头鹿的眼睛和舌头，作为凭证带给老伯爵。
年轻人继续流浪，一段时间后来到一座城堡，请求借宿一晚。“可以，”城堡的主人说，“如果你愿意在那边旧塔楼里过夜，就去吧；但我警告你，那里满是野狗，它们不停地吠叫嚎叫，每到特定时间就必须给它们一个人，它们会立刻把他吃掉。”
整个地区都因此陷入悲伤和恐慌，却无人能阻止这一切。然而，年轻人毫无畏惧，说：“就让我去那些吠叫的狗那里吧，给我点东西扔给它们；它们不会伤害我的。”
既然他执意如此，他们给了他一些喂野兽的食物，带他下到塔楼。当他走进去时，狗没有朝他吠叫，反而非常友好地围着他摇尾巴，吃了他放在面前的食物，连他一根头发都没伤到。
第二天早上，令所有人惊讶的是，他安然无恙地走了出来，对城堡主人说：“狗用它们自己的语言向我揭示了它们为何住在这里，并给这片土地带来灾祸。它们被施了魔法，被迫看守塔楼下的一大笔财宝，只有财宝被取走，它们才能得到安宁。我也从它们的谈话中学会了如何做到这一点。”
所有听到的人都欢欣鼓舞，城堡主人说，如果他成功完成此事，就收他为养子。他再次下去，因为他知道该怎么做，他彻底完成了任务，带着一个装满黄金的箱子出来了。从此再也听不到野狗的嚎叫了；它们消失了，这片土地也从困扰中解脱了。
过了一段时间，他心血来潮想去罗马旅行。途中，他经过一片沼泽，许多青蛙坐在那里呱呱叫。他倾听着，当他意识到它们在说什么时，变得非常沉思和悲伤。最后他抵达罗马，教皇刚刚去世，人们正为任命谁为继任者而大伤脑筋。
他们最终同意，应选择一位拥有某种神圣而神奇标志的人作为教皇。就在这个决定刚刚做出时，年轻的伯爵走进了教堂，突然两只雪白的鸽子飞到他肩上，停在那里。神职人员认出这是来自上天的征兆，当场问他是否愿意成为教皇。他犹豫不决，不知道自己是否配得上，但鸽子劝他接受，最终他答应了。于是他受膏并被祝圣，从而应验了他在路上从青蛙那里听到的、让他深受触动的话——他将成为教皇陛下。然后他必须主持弥撒，却一个字都不会，但那两只鸽子一直坐在他肩上，在他耳边把一切都告诉了他。