The German small boy, who has accidentally sat down on such without noticing, rises with a start when his error is pointed out to him, and goes away with down-cast head, brushing to the roots of his hair with shame and regret.
Not that the German child is neglected by a paternal Government.

In German parks and public gardens special places (_Spielplatze_) are provided for him, each one supplied with a heap of sand.

There he can play to his heart's content at making mud pies and building sand castles.
To the German child a pie made of any other mud than this would appear an immoral pie.

It would give to him no satisfaction: his soul would revolt against it.
"That pie," he would say to himself, "was not, as it should have been, made of Government mud specially set apart for the purpose; it was nor manufactured in the place planned and maintained by the Government for the making of mud pies.

It can bring no real blessing with it; it is a lawless pie." And until his father had paid the proper fine, and he had received his proper licking, his conscience would continue to trouble him.
Another excellent piece of material for obtaining excitement in Germany is the simple domestic perambulator.