If, in past times, while manners were so rude, the teachers of the High Schools could practise so barbarous a custom towards the freshmen, it may well be supposed that the students did not conduct themselves towards the Branen more gently. These had many hardships and indignities to suffer at their hands; and, as was the case in many of the schools in past times, must perform for them the lowest offices. Lycurgus himself could not create for his laws a more implicit obedience in his age, than the old Houses demanded from the new-comers, who are now no longer denominated Branen, but Foxes. As already observed, the name boot-fox was derived from this fact, that these freshmen must black the boots for their more advanced comrades, the old Houses of the Chores.
The freshman, or fox, is now bound to perform many little, but by no means degrading or injurious services. He must conduct himself discreetly, may not mix forwardly in the conversation of the old Houses, and his purse is laid under frequent requisitions. Amongst the students who belong to no union, this is not so much the case, and is restricted principally to this, that the fox conducts himself not too assumingly, and now and then ponirt something, that is--to give this slang phrase by an English one--pods down something; that is to say, he gives an excursion or entertainment to them, a Kneiperei, or occasion of social fellowship and enjoyment. This he can the better do, as the superior experience of the older students in all the regulations of University life, and in particular in the best laying out of his course of study, are of the greatest service to him. In the aristocracy of the Chores, this subordination is, indeed, more despotic. There is quickly heard,--"Silence, fox! speak not when old bemossed heads are speaking!"
We have mentioned the general services which the fox has to perform, but he has also to suffer at the hands of terrible old Houses. There comes perhaps, a bemossed head from a distant university, in a shockingly broken down condition, something like the student in Hauff's story, who travelled with Satan. Already known by his hero deeds, the moment that he arrives he is received with a jubilee of acclamation. "Würger! thou faithful old House! cry the sons of the Muses, and rush down the steps into his arms. The smokers forget to lay down their long pipes, the billiard-players still hold their cues in their hands. They form a body-guard singularly armed, around the arriver."--Hauff's Memoirs of Satan.
And now, scarcely has the old House made it understood that his trousers are not the best in the world, or that his boots are no longer waterproof, than it would be taken very ill indeed of a fox should he hesitate to supply his wants to the very best of his power. He must feel himself particularly honoured if he gets back the borrowed garments in a month or two, just in sufficient condition to be able to make a present of them to his shoe-black.
For a long time, a terrible swordsman belonged to one of the universities, whose mother resided in the place, and was what the students term a Frass philister, or eating philistine, or who in other words kept an eating-house for the students, as is very common in the university cities. Her table could promise very little satisfaction, even to the least delicate and artistical stomachs; in fact, it required a strong dose of active exercise before dinner to enable its frequenters to make an attack upon it, and another as active after dinner to conquer the dyspeptic symptoms that rapidly followed her viands. Yet this table was always crowded. The unhappy foxes had much rather try their teeth on the culinary productions of the mother, than fall under the pitiless sword of the son.
The same worthy was also accustomed to borrow ball-dresses, as he by no means approved of swelling the profits of tailors; and, at the end of the season, sent them back to their right owner in a condition fit only at the best to be forwarded to the Jew.
In earlier times, the foxes were expected by the old houses to write out their college notes; and hence arose the anecdote, that one of the most terrible of the old houses, observing a blot, which the poor copyist, in utter fear, had made upon the paper, asked grimly, pointing to it, "Is that Douche, fox?" To douchiren, or touchiren, is equivalent in meaning to giving such an offence as will require a challenge. Douche is Indian ink, and perhaps it would be in vain to inquire how Indian ink came to be a synonyme for a challengeable insult; the horrified and innocent youth, however, who understood this meaning, answered with precipitation, "Pardon me, it is ink." That is, not douche, or Indian ink, nor any thing meant for offence.
When a fox forgets his part, he is, in their language, immediately sent to rest. Thus it happened that an old Bursche, who probably had two dozen college half-years on his back, at a Kneip, fell into a dispute with a conceited fox. The fox finally felt himself insulted by various expressions, and in student-phrase, gave him the Dummer junge--in literal meaning, stupid youth, but in their language a challenge. The old Bursche coolly replied, "Stupid I may be, but I am not young." A general laugh arose at this repartee, and the fox was so much pleased with it, that he instantly recalled the challenge.
Another anecdote connected with the same custom, is this. A fox suffered himself to become the bearer of a challenge; an office which, according to Chore laws, by no means belonged to him, but to the Chore-Bursche. He stepped, full of self-complacency on account of his important commission, but yet with some anxiety, into the lodging of the bemossed head, and spoke. "Watzman sends you a Dummer junge--a stupid youth." "Yes, I see him," coolly answered the challenged, glancing contemptuously over his shoulder at him, and proceeding with his writing at his desk without condescending to give to the dumbfounded fox another look.
The student receives different names, according to the duration of his abode at college. While he yet vegetated in the gymnasium he was a Frosch--a frog. In the vacation which lay between the time of his quitting the gymnasium and entering the university, he chrysalized himself into a mule, and on entering the university, he becomes a Kameel--Camel. This happy transition-state of a few weeks gone by, he comes forth finally, on entering a Chore, a Fox, and runs joyfully into the new Burschen life. During the first semester, or half-year, he is a gold fox, which means, that he has foxes, or rich gold in plenty yet; or he is a Crass-fuchs, or fat fox, meaning that he yet swells or puffs himself up with gold. In the second half-year he becomes a Brand-fuchs, or fox with a brand, after the foxes of Samson. The fox year is then over, and they wash the eyes of the new-baked Young Bursche, since during the fox-year he was held to be blind, the fox not being endued with reason. From Young Bursche he advances next to Old Bursche, and then to Bemossed Head, the highest state of honour to which man can attain.