German wit and humor : $b A collection from various sources classified under appropriate subject headingsDownes, Minna Sophie Marie Baumann
General
German wit and humor : $b A collection from various sources classified under appropriate subject headings
Downes, Minna Sophie Marie Baumann
German wit and humor
One day the great pedagogue was obliged to borrow five hundred gulden
from his friend, the burgomaster of Aarau. On his way home to Neuhof, he
met a poor man, who told him that his barn had burned down and that he
had been to Aarau to borrow the money to rebuild it, but had met with
no success. What was the philanthropist to do! He gave the man the five
hundred gulden. Of course it was necessary to return to his friend and
borrow the same sum over again, and also to ask him to look the family
up, but—now he came to think of it—he had never even asked the man’s name.
Taken for a Tramp
Several times Pestalozzi, on account of his negligent appearance,
was taken for a tramp and locked up, once at Bern, and later on at
Solothurn; at both places he was taken to the hospital. At Bern, Baron
von Fellenberg, to whom he sent a note, hastened to the hospital to
explain the error made and secure his release. Pestalozzi comforted his
distressed friend by telling him that he had had a very good bed and
an excellent soup. In Solothurn, they put him in a room with a barred
window, from which, luckily, he saw the friend he was to visit, and
by calling to him, told him of his plight. “But, for goodness’ sake,
Pestalozzi, what did they lock you up for?” asked his liberator.
“Oh well,” replied he, “they took me for a fool or a rogue.”
Caught for a Thief
Another time Pestalozzi was caught by a guard, just as he had climbed
into an orchard and picked up a fallen pear. The looks of the poorly
dressed stranger justified the man’s action, who collared him and took
him to the village lock-up which was in the schoolhouse. As luck would
have it, the magistrate had read Pestalozzi’s “Lienhart and Gertrud,”
and set the author at liberty with many excuses. On leaving the
great pedagogue said: “In future, do not lock up old rogues in your
schoolhouse or you will have young ones come from it.”
His Awkwardness
One day Pestalozzi was at a large dinner. He wished to be gallant, and,
on offering a dish to his neighbor on the right, a lady dressed very
elaborately, emptied the contents of it over her silk dress. To excuse
himself he rose, and his hasty movement caused his spur to catch in
the dress of his neighbor to the left, tearing it badly. This was more
than he could stand. With one bound he rushed to the door, hurried
down-stairs, out to the stable, mounted his horse and galloped off.
Melanchthon’s Hobby
Philipp Melanchthon’s hobby was palmistry. One day he dined with one of
Wittenberg’s councilmen. The infant of the family was shown to him, and
Melanchthon was ready at once to prove his skill. He took the tiny hand
and said: “This child will be a great theologian.”
“What a pity that it is a girl!” exclaimed the father, while all present
smiled.
Invited Himself to Dinner
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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