FullReads

When he had learned to read he was sent to school, though not with
other boys, for his father thought it better for him to be with girls.
The school was pleasant and quiet, and Friedrich liked the teacher
very much. Every morning the children read from the Bible, and learned
sweet songs and hymns which the little boy remembered all his days.

The life at home grew no happier, as Friedrich grew older; indeed, he
seemed to be more in the way and to get into trouble more often.

When he was ten years old his uncle came to visit them, and seeing
Friedrich so unhappy, and fearing he would not grow up a good boy
unless some one cared for him, the good uncle asked to be allowed to
take the child home with him to live.

Now, at last, Friedrich had five happy years!

His uncle lived in a pretty town on the banks of a sparkling little
river. Everything was pleasant in the house, and Friedrich went to
school with forty boys of his own age. He jumped and ran with them in
the playgrounds, he learned to play all kinds of games, and he was
happy everywhere,–at school, at home, at church, playing or working.

When these five pleasant years had gone by, Froebel had finished
school, and now he must decide what he would do to earn his living. He
had always loved flowers, since the days when he played all alone in
his father’s garden, and he liked to be out-of-doors and to see things
growing; so he made up his mind to be a surveyor, like our George
Washington, you know, and to learn, besides, how to take care of trees
and forests.

He studied and worked very hard at these things, and gained a great
deal of knowledge about flowers and plants and trees and rocks.

By and by he left this work and went to college, where he studied a
long time and grew to be very wise indeed. There were numbers of
things he had learned to do: he could measure land, take care of
woods, and draw maps; he could make plans of houses, and show men how
to build them; he knew all about fine stones and minerals, and could
sort and arrange them; but he found, at last, that there was nothing
in the world he liked so well as teaching, for he loved children very
much, and he liked to be with them. When Froebel was a grown man,
thirty years old, a great war broke out in Germany, and he went away
to fight for his country; like our George Washington again, you see.
He marched away with the soldiers, and fought bravely for a year; and
then the war was over, and he went back to his quiet work again.

For the rest of his life Froebel went on teaching all kinds of
people,–boys and men, and young girls and grown-up women; but he
never was quite happy or satisfied till he thought of teaching tiny
children, just like you.

He remembered very well how sad and miserable he was when a little
boy, with no one to love him, nobody to play with, and nothing to do;
so he thought of the kindergarten, where there are pleasant playmates,
pretty work, happy play for everybody, and teachers who love little
children.

He was an old man when he thought of the kindergarten; but be was
never too old to play with children, and people who went to his
country home used to see him, with the little ones about him, playing
the Pigeon House, or the Wheel, or the Farmer, or some of the games he
made for us.

He was often very poor, and he worked very hard all his life; but he
did not care for this at all, if he could help other people and make
children happy. And when, at last, it was time for him to die, and to
go back to God, who sent him to us, he was quiet and happy through all
his sickness, and almost the last words he said were about the flowers
he loved so well, and about God who had been so good to him.

So this is the reason, little ones, that we keep Rebel’s birthday
every year,–because we want you to remember all he did for little
children, and to learn to love him just as he loved you.

“Come, let us live with our children; so shall their lives bring peace
and joy to us; so shall we begin to be, and to become wise.”–
FROEBEL.