|| A Grimm’s Fairytale ||
An aged Count once lived in Switzerland, who had an only son. The son did not have interest to learn anything. He just used to wander in the woods and while away his time. His father tried different tutors for Latin and History, but none worked.
When he came of age, his father said ‘ Son, I am sending into the care of a celebrated master, learn something at least from him’.
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 sent away, and stayed a year with another great master. 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, of what use is that to a Count? 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 and you won’t be my son.’
The youth remained a whole year with the third master also. When he came home again, and his father inquired: ‘My son, Tell me, have you learnt something useful this time?’ The young man 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 servants, and said: ‘This man is no longer my son. I am ashamed. I command you to take him out into the forest, and kill him.’
The servants took him away into the forest, but they could not kill their young master. So they let him go, and they cut the eyes and tongue out of a deer that they might carry them to the old Count as a token.
The youth wandered on, nowhere to go. After a while he came to a fortress where he begged for a night’s stay.
‘Yes,’ said the lord of the castle, ‘there is only the old tower which can accommodate you. But I must warn you, there is pack of mad dogs in the tower who have a taste for human flesh. Stay at your own risk!’
The youth, however, was not worried. He said: ‘Just let me go down to the dogs, and give me something that I can throw to them; they will not harm me.’ 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 in a friendly way. They ate the meat he gave them, and did not hurt one hair of his head.
The next morning, to everyone’s extreme surprise, he was alive and unharmed.
The youth said to the lord of the castle: ‘The dogs have revealed to me, in their own language, why they are here. They are bewitched, and are obliged to watch over a great treasure which is below in the tower. They would be free from the curse once it is taken away.’
The lord of the castle was delighted and said he would adopt the youth as a son if he brought the treasure successfully.
So the youth went back to the tower with more meat for the dogs and brought a chest full of gold out with him. The howling of the wild dogs was heard no more; they had disappeared, and the country was freed from their nuisance.
The youth became part of the family and continued staying with them.
After many days, he wanted to explore the world. So he started his way 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 all agreed that the person who has some divine and miraculous strength should be chosen as the Pope.
As they were all discussing in one corner, the young count entered the church, and suddenly two snow-white doves flew on his shoulders and remained sitting there. The doves were the pets of the former Pope.
The priests thought that this was surely a divine sign and asked the youth on the spot if he would be Pope.
The youth was undecided, and doubted if he were worthy of this.
The doves meanwhile whispered softly in his ears in their own language, “There is no better man to guide other men than the one that is kind to all, including the smallest creatures of this earth. You can do it”
The birds counselled him to do it, assuring them that they would stand by his side and guide him with the rituals. The youth hesitated and finally he said yes.
He was anointed and consecrated as the Pope. He knew the frogs’ prophecy came true. On his way, when he heard the frogs and was sad, what he heard was that he would be made the Pope.
Then he had to sing a mass, and did not know one word of it, but the two doves sat constantly on his shoulders, and said it all in his ear.
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