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 you, my son, try as I will I can get nothing into your head. You must go from hence, I will give you into the care of a celebrated master, who shall see 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 you learnt?’ ‘Father, I have learnt what the dogs say when they bark.’ ‘Lord have mercy on us!’ cried the father; ‘is that all you have learnt? I will send you 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 have you learnt?’ He answered: ‘Father, I have learnt what the birds say.’ Then the father fell into a rage and said: ‘Oh, you lost man, you have spent the precious time and learnt nothing; are you not ashamed to appear before my eyes? I will send you to a third master, but if you learn nothing this time also, I will no longer be your 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 have you 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 tongue out of a deer that they might carry them to the old man as a token.
从前有一位年迈的伯爵住在瑞士，他只有一个儿子，但儿子愚笨，什么也学不会。于是父亲说：‘听我说，我的孩子，无论我怎么努力，都无法把知识灌进你的头脑。你必须离开这里，我会把你交给一位著名的导师，看他能对你做些什么。’年轻人被送到一个陌生的城镇，在那里跟随导师整整一年。期满后他回家，父亲问道：‘现在，我的孩子，你学到了什么？’‘父亲，我学会了狗叫时它们在说什么。’‘天哪！’父亲惊呼道，‘就只学了这些吗？我要把你送到另一座城镇，交给另一位导师。’年轻人被带到那里，同样跟随那位导师待了一年。当他回来时，父亲又问：‘我的孩子，你学到了什么？’他回答：‘父亲，我学会了鸟儿在说什么。’这时父亲勃然大怒，说道：‘唉，你这不成器的家伙，浪费了宝贵的时间却一无所获；难道你不觉得在我面前出现有辱门风吗？我要把你送到第三位导师那里，但如果你这次还学不到什么，我就再也不认你作儿子了。’年轻人同样在第三位导师那里待了一年。当他再次回家，父亲问道：‘我的孩子，你学到了什么？’他回答：‘亲爱的父亲，今年我学会了青蛙的叫声。’父亲顿时暴跳如雷，猛地站起来，叫来仆人们说：‘此人已不再是我的儿子，我要将他赶走，命令你们把他带到森林里杀死。’他们带他出去，但当他即将被杀时，出于怜悯，他们无法下手，便放了他，并割下一只鹿的眼睛和舌头，打算带回给老伯爵作为凭证。
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 you will pass the night down there in the old tower, go thither; but I warn 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 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.
那年轻人继续前行，不久来到一座堡垒前，请求借宿一晚。城堡的主人说：‘可以，如果你愿意去那座旧塔过夜，就去吧；但我警告你，此举有生命危险，因为塔里满是野狗，它们日夜狂吠哀嚎，每到特定时刻必须献上一人给它们，它们会立刻将其吞食。’整个地区因这些野狗而悲痛惊恐，却无人能阻止。然而那年轻人毫无惧色，说道：‘让我去那些狂吠的狗那里，给我一些可以投喂的东西；它们不会伤害我。’既然他执意如此，人们便给了他一些喂野兽的食物，并带他下到塔中。当他进入塔内时，野狗并未对他狂吠，反而友好地摇着尾巴围着他转，吃下他放置的食物，连他一根头发也未伤及。次日清晨，令众人惊讶的是，他安然无恙地走了出来，对城堡主人说：‘那些狗用它们自己的语言告诉我，它们为何住在那里并给这片土地带来灾祸。它们中了魔法，被迫看守塔下的一大笔宝藏，直到宝藏被移走前它们无法安息；我也从它们的交谈中得知了如何移走宝藏的方法。’所有听到这话的人都欣喜不已，城堡主人表示若他能成功完成此事，便收他为子。他再次下到塔中，因知晓该做什么，便彻底完成了任务，带出了一箱黄金。从此再也听不到野狗的哀嚎；它们消失了，这片土地也摆脱了灾祸。
After some time he took it in 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 doubt among the cardinals 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.
过了些时候，他忽然起意要去罗马。途中经过一片沼泽，许多青蛙正坐在那里呱呱叫。他停下倾听，听懂了它们在说什么后，顿时陷入沉思，神情悲伤。最终他抵达罗马，恰逢教皇刚刚去世，枢机主教们对于该推选谁继任一事举棋不定。最后他们商定：应选一位身上显现出某种神圣神迹之人担任教皇。就在此决定作出之际，这位年轻伯爵走进教堂，忽然两只雪白的鸽子飞落在他肩头，久久停驻。神职人员见状，认定这是来自上天的征兆，当即问他是否愿意接受教皇之位。他犹豫不决，不知自己是否配得上此位，但两只鸽子劝他接受，最终他答应了。于是他被涂油祝圣，这正应验了他途中从青蛙那里听到的预言——那曾深深触动他的话语，预示着他将成为教皇。随后他需主持弥撒，却连一个词都不懂，但那两只鸽子始终停在他肩头，将经文悄悄在他耳边诵读。