“Did you learn anything else?” asked the Earl.
“Oh, yes! I have learned what the frogs say when they croak.”
The Earl was in a great rage and declared that he had wasted his money on a teacher who taught such foolish things.
The stupid son was left all to himself now, and so he wandered into the forest and came to a great castle and asked for a night’s lodging. The lord said: “You may sleep in the tower, but the wild dogs howl all night so that no one can sleep.”
Then the stupid son said: “I will find out what they are howling about.” Accordingly he went into the tower to sleep, but soon the dogs began to howl.
“What are you howling about?” he asked the leading dog. They were much surprised to hear a man talking dog language; but they said: “We are guarding a treasure of gold under the tower for the lord of this castle.”
The next morning the stupid son told the lord what the dogs said. The lord dug up the treasure, gave part of it to the stupid son, and heard no more of the dogs.
The stupid son then went along and came to a place where the frogs were croaking. He stopped and listened to what they said. They were talking about some robbers who had planned to carry off the king’s daughter.
The stupid son hurried to the King’s house and said: “The frogs have told me that robbers will seize the princess to-night. Be on your guard!”
The king thought this was a strange message, but he called his guard and put them behind a big tree in the yard. Late that night the robbers came creeping up to the window of the princess, but the guards seized them and bore them before the king, who promptly put them in jail. The king then loaded the stupid son with jewels and sent him on his way. Soon he came home and showed the Earl all the gold and jewels he had won.