2007-9-12

There was a necessary procedure in daily life of Koch's family, that is, head counting at evening time. It is because, from recent point of view, there were too many kids(up to 13)in his family. For people living nowadays, it is unbelievable to have so many kids in a family.
One day, the father found little Koch was absent from head counting. No body cared about this, because they thought he must play with insects on surrounding lawn. His father appointed an elder kid to call him back.
But the later report from the kid reflected that Koch was not there. There was no children on lawn and all other children back home said they did not see little Koch. It was dark outside, then where was little Koch?
All family was worried, and went outside to find him.
However, they could not find little Koch even after they searched through those regular playing grounds of Koch. Where on earth was Koch? At last, his mother found a shadow by pond side, which was Koch.'Why are you here? And it is too late for home!'his mother blamed him.
But little Koch seemed not hearing his mother, he did not answer his mother's question, but instead said,'hey mum, look, what a great ship!'
Along the direction pointed by his finger, there was a paper ship floating on water, already a distance from the bank.
'It was floating for a long time.'said Koch,'It is the farthest one, but others were sunk.'He was a little sad, maybe it's for those ships sunk into water.
But his voice turned to be happy in a minute,'Mum, I want to be a sailor and go around the world on ship!'

Soon, the little paper ship was floating far away, and beyond Koch's sight; but the ideal carried by it was deeply planted in Koch's heart. And of course, Koch did not become a sailor for one thing which lead him to the palace of medicine.
In 1882, Koch successfully separated the Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which laid a foundation for cure of tuberculosis.