The Three Languages

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.

むかしスイスに年老いた伯爵が住んでいて、一人息子があった。けれどもこの子は出来が悪く、何ひとつ覚えられなかった。そこで父は言った。「よく聞け、息子よ。どれほどやってみても、おまえの頭には何も入らぬ。ここを出て行ってもらわねばならん。名高い先生に預けるから、その人がおまえをどうにかできるか見てもらおう。」若者は見知らぬ町へやられ、まる一年その先生のもとにとどまった。その期限が終わって家に帰ると、父は尋ねた。「さて息子よ、何を学んだ?」「お父さん、犬が吠えるときに何と言っているかを学びました。」「主よ、われらを憐れみたまえ!」と父は叫んだ。「学んだのはそれだけか? 別の町の、別の先生のもとへやろう。」若者はそこへ連れて行かれ、この先生のもとにもやはり一年いた。帰って来ると父はまた尋ねた。「息子よ、何を学んだ?」若者は答えた。「お父さん、鳥が何と言っているかを学びました。」すると父は激怒して言った。「この駄目な男め、貴い時を費やして何ひとつ学ばなかったのか。わしの前に顔を出して恥ずかしくないのか? 三人目の先生のもとへやるが、今度も何も学ばなければ、わしはもうおまえの父ではない。」若者は三人目の先生のもとにもまる一年とどまり、また家に帰った。そして父が「息子よ、何を学んだ?」と尋ねると、こう答えた。「お父さん、今年は蛙が何と鳴いているかを学びました。」すると父は烈火のごとく怒り、跳び上がって家の者を呼び集め、こう言った。「この男はもうわしの息子ではない。追い出す。森へ連れ出して殺せ。」人々は若者を連れ出したが、いざ殺すという段になると、不憫で手が下せず、逃がしてやった。そして老人にしるしとして持ち帰るために、鹿の目と舌をえぐり取った。

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.

若者はさまよい歩き、しばらくして一つの城塞に来て、一夜の宿を乞うた。「よろしい」と城主は言った。「下にある古い塔で夜を過ごすというなら、行くがよい。ただし警告しておくが、それは命がけだ。あの塔は野犬でいっぱいで、休みなく吠え、遠吠えする。そしてある時刻になると人を一人与えねばならず、犬どもはたちまちそれを食らってしまうのだ。」この地方じゅうがそのために嘆きと恐れのうちにあったが、それでも誰一人これを止めることができなかった。けれども若者は恐れを知らず、こう言った。「その吠える犬どものところへ行かせてください。そして投げてやれるものを何か持たせてください。犬はわたしに何の害も加えないでしょう。」本人がそう望むのだからと、人々は野の獣のための食べ物を持たせて、塔へ降ろしてやった。若者が中へ入ると、犬どもは吠えかかりもせず、たいそう親しげに尾を振ってまわりに集まり、差し出したものを食べ、若者の髪一筋も傷つけなかった。あくる朝、誰もが驚いたことに、若者は無事で傷ひとつなく出て来て、城主に言った。「犬どもが自分たちの言葉で明かしてくれました。なぜそこに住んで、この地に災いをもたらすのかを。あれらは魔法をかけられていて、塔の下にある大きな宝を見張らされており、それが運び出されるまで安らぐことができないのです。そしてそれをどうすればよいかも、あれらの話から学びました。」これを聞いた者はみな喜び、城主は、首尾よくやり遂げたら息子として迎えようと言った。若者はもう一度降りて行き、何をすべきか知っていたのでそれを申し分なくやり遂げ、黄金でいっぱいの櫃を持って出て来た。野犬の遠吠えはそれきり二度と聞かれなかった。犬どもは消え、この地は災いから解き放たれた。

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.

しばらくして、若者はローマへ旅しようと思い立った。途中、蛙がたくさん座って鳴いている沼のそばを通った。若者はその声に耳を傾け、何を言っているのか分かると、たいそう考え込んで悲しげになった。とうとうローマに着いてみると、ちょうど教皇が亡くなったところで、枢機卿たちは誰を後継者に立てるべきか大いに迷っていた。そしてついに、神の奇しきしるしによって示された者を教皇に選ぶことに決めた。そう決まったちょうどそのとき、若い伯爵が聖堂に入って来た。すると突然、雪のように白い鳩が二羽その肩に飛んで来て、そこにとまったままになった。聖職者たちはそこに天からのしるしを認め、その場で、教皇になる気があるかと尋ねた。若者は迷って、自分がそれにふさわしいかどうか分からなかったが、鳩たちが受けよと勧めたので、とうとう「はい」と答えた。そこで若者は油を注がれて聖別され、こうして道中の蛙から聞いた、あれほど心を揺さぶったこと——自分が教皇聖下になるということ——が成就した。そのあと若者はミサを歌わねばならなかったが、その文句を一言も知らなかった。けれども二羽の鳩はいつも肩にとまっていて、すべてを耳もとで唱えてくれた。