d skating was practised there on the frozen
surface of the neighbouring meadow; then we had our coasting parties at
the "Upper House" and down the long slope of the Dissau, the climbing and
rambling, the wrestling and jumping over the backs of comrades, the
ditches, hedges, and fences, the games of prisoner's base which no
Keilhau pupil will ever forget, the ball-playing and the various games of
running for which there was always time, although at the end of the year
we had acquired a sufficient amount of knowledge. The stiffest boy who
came to Keilhau grew nimble, the biceps of the veriest weakling enlarged,
the most timid nature was roused to courage. Indeed, here, if anywhere,
it required courage to be cowardly.

If Froebel and Langethal had seen in the principle of comradeship the
best furtherance of discipline, it was proved here; for we formed one
large family, and if any act really worthy of punishment, no mere
ebullition of youthful spirits, was committed by any of the pupils, Barop
summoned us all, formed us into a court of justice, and we examined into
the affair and fixed the penalty ourselves. For dishonourable acts,
expulsion from the institute; for grave offences, confinement to the
room--a punishment which pledged even us, who imposed it, to avoid all
intercourse with the culprit for a certain length of time. For lighter
misdemeanours the offender was confined to the house or the court-yard.
If trivial matters were to be censured this Areopagus was not convened.

And we, the judges, were rigid executors of the punishment. Barop
afterwards told me that he was frequently compelled to urge us to be more
gentle. Old Froebel regarded these meetings as means for coming into
unity with life. The same purpose was served by the form of our
intercourse with one another, the pedestrian excursions, and the many
incidents related by our teachers of their own lives, especially the
historical instruction which was connected with the history of
civilization and so arranged as to seek to make us familiar not only with
the deeds of nations and bloody battles, but with the life of the human
race.

In spite of, or on account of, the court of justice I have just
mentioned, there could be no informers among us, for Barop only half
listened to the accuser, and often sent him harshly from the room without
summoning the school-mate whom he accused. Besides, we ourselves knew how
to punish the sycophant so that he took good care