The Violet Fairy Book, by Andrew Lang  The Young Man who Would
have His Eyes Opened  Once upon a time there lived a youth who
was never happy unless he was prying into something that other
people knew nothing about. After he had learned to understand
the language of birds and beasts, he discovered accidentally
that a great deal took place under cover of night which mortal
eyes never saw. From that moment he felt he could not rest till
these hidden secrets were laid bare to him, and he spent his
whole time wandering from one wizard to another, begging them to
open his eyes, but found none to help him. At length he reached
an old magician called Mana, whose learning was greater than
that of the rest, and who could tell him all he wanted to know.
But when the old man had listened attentively to him, he said,
warningly:  ‘My son, do not follow after empty knowledge, which
will not bring you happiness, but rather evil. Much is hidden
from the eyes of men, because did they know everything their
hearts would no long