The Three Languages
Introduction
Why turn a Brothers Grimm tale into a fable? A fable is short, plain, and honest. It lets a simple story carry a clear truth, the way Aesop did and the way Chinese folk tales have done for thousands of years. This tale of the count's son fits the form perfectly. He is the classic hidden gem: everyone in his family scoffs at him, yet the three small skills they laugh at turn his whole fortune around. The story calls to mind two old sayings: "never judge a book by its cover," and the Chinese wisdom that even the humblest creature can be your teacher. In the original Grimm version, the father sends his son away three times, burns with anger each year, and finally orders the boy killed. The servants spare him and carry home the eyes and tongue of a deer as false proof. No Disney film would keep such a dark moment, but the Grimms recorded it without softening, and that honest harshness makes the happy ending feel earned rather than cheap. As you read this retelling, watch each "useless" language quietly prove itself: the dogs' talk lifts a treasure, the frogs' talk foretells a destiny, and the birds' talk — learned long ago — lets him hear the very doves that crown him. Ask your child: when did each skill become the key that opened the door?
Vocabulary from "The Three Languages"
12 key words from this story with definitions and original context sentences for language learners.
A nobleman of high rank in some European countries.
伯爵：欧洲贵族的一种称号。
Long ago, an old count had an only son.
古时候，有位老伯爵，只有一个儿子。
Pressed a foot down hard on the ground, usually in anger.
跺（脚）：生气时用力踩地。
The old count stamped his foot.
老伯爵跺脚道：“老天爷！整整一年光阴，你就学了这个？”
A person who is useless and does nothing worthwhile.
不成器的人；一无是处的人。
You good-for-nothing boy!
不成器的东西！白白糟蹋光阴！
To make the deep rough sound of a frog.
（青蛙）呱呱叫。
"Father," he said, "this year I have learned what the frogs say when they croak."
“爹，这一年，我学会了青蛙呱呱声里的话。”
To make a long loud crying sound, like a dog or wolf.
（狗、狼等）长嚎；大声嚎叫。
They bark and howl all day long, and every few hours a man must be thrown in to feed them.
塔里关着一群野狗，日夜狂吠，每隔几个时辰，就得送一个人进去喂它们。
A strong castle built to keep enemies out.
堡垒；要塞；坚固的城堡。
The young man wandered on, and after some days he came to a fortress.
年轻人一路流浪，过了些日子，来到一座城堡，求借宿一夜。
Magic words that change or control people and things.
魔法；咒语。
A spell binds them.
它们中了魔法，得看守塔下的一大笔宝藏；宝藏一日不搬走，它们一日不得安宁。
A store of gold, silver, or other valuable things.
金银财宝；宝藏。
They must guard a great treasure under the tower, and they can have no rest until it is carried away.
它们中了魔法，得看守塔下的一大笔宝藏；宝藏一日不搬走，它们一日不得安宁。
Soft, wet ground, often with pools of water.
沼泽；湿地。
On the way he passed a marsh where a crowd of frogs sat croaking.
半路经过一片沼泽，一群青蛙蹲在水边，呱呱地叫个不停。
Good enough or important enough for something.
配得上的；够格的。
He felt he was not worthy.
年轻人拿不定主意，觉得自己不配。
To speak very softly, almost without sound.
低语；耳语；悄悄地说。
But the two doves stayed on his shoulders and whispered every word into his ear.
两只鸽子便停在他肩上，一句一句，把话念进他耳朵里。
To succeed in doing something difficult or important.
完成；实现；成就（大事）。
Every voice in the world is worth hearing, and a skill that seems small can accomplish great things.
万物有声，皆可倾听；看似不起眼的小本领，也能成就大事。
Reading Together & Learning More
The Moral
Every creature has a voice, and every voice is worth hearing. No skill is ever truly wasted: what looks useless today may accomplish great things tomorrow, so listen well and never look down on what you have learned.
Educational Value
Teaches children to listen with respect: every living thing has a voice worth hearing, and every small skill has its day. It also helps children who feel looked down on to trust their own talents and keep learning.
Tips for Parents
After the story, ask your child why the father grew angry again and again, and whether the son's three skills were truly useless. Then talk about a small skill your child loves that others may not value — and imagine together what it might do one day.
Talk About It
- The father thought the animal languages were useless and was angry enough to kill his son — yet all three skills later helped him greatly. Is something grown-ups call "useless" always really useless?
- Everyone in the family thought the boy was slow and could learn nothing. Do you think he was truly slow? What did the grown-ups fail to see in him?
- Everyone feared the tower full of wild dogs, but only he dared go in, and he saved the whole land. What let him do what no one else could?
- He could understand dogs, birds, and frogs. If you could learn one animal language, which would you choose, and why?
- At the end, he becomes Pope. Was it luck that helped him, or his own skills? Explain your thinking.
