'What did you take her?' 'I took nothing.' 'What did Grettel give you?' 'She gave me nothing. She came with me.' 'Where did you leave Grettel?' 'Tied up in the stable with a rope.' 'That was stupid. You should have cast sheep's eyes at her.' 'Never mind; I'll do better next time.' Hans went into the stable, plucked the eyes out of the cows and calves, and threw them in Grettel's face. Grettel got angry, broke the rope, and ran away. Yet she became Hans' wife. The Three Languages There once lived in Switzerland an old Count, who had an only son; but he was very stupid, and could learn nothing. So his father said to him: 'Listen to me, my son. I can get nothing into your head, try as hard as I may. You must go away from here, and I will hand you over to a renowned Professor for a whole year.' At the end of the year he came home again, and his father asked: 'Now, my son, what have you learnt?' 'Father, I have learnt the language of dogs.' 'Mercy on us!' cried his father, 'is that all you have learnt? I will send you away again to another Professor in a different town.' The youth was taken there, and remained with this Professor also for another year. When he came back his father asked him again: 'My son, what have you learnt?' He answered: 'I have learnt bird language.' Then the father flew into a rage, and said: 'Oh, you hopeless creature, have you been spending all this precious time and learnt nothing? Aren't you ashamed to come into my presence? I will send you to a third Professor, but if you learn nothing this time, I won't be your father any longer.' The son stopped with the third Professor in the same way for a whole year, and when he came home again and his father asked, 'My son, what have you learnt?' he answered-- 'My dear father, this year I have learnt frog language.' Thereupon his father flew into a fearful passion, and said: 'This creature is my son no longer. I turn him out of the house and command you to lead him into the forest and take his life.' [Illustration: On the way he passed a swamp, in which a number of Frogs were croaking.] They led him forth, but when they were about to kill him, for pity's sake they could not do it, and let him go. Then they cut out the eyes and tongue of a Fawn, in order that they might take back proofs to the old Count. The youth wandered about, and at length came to a castle, where he begged a night's lodging. 'Very well,' said the Lord of the castle. 'If you like to pass the night down there in the old tower, you may; but I warn you that it will be at the risk of your life, for it is full of savage dogs. They bark and howl without ceasing, and at certain hours they must have a man thrown to them, and they devour him at once.'