Nathan was 12 years old when he was sent to live with his Uncle Howard on his ranch for the summer. At 12 his father figured that young Nathan needed to grow up and develop some responsibility. During the school year Nathan had become quite lazy and his school grades certainly showed it. His last report card showed two D's, 3 C's and an F. So his father figured that Nathan needed the kind of discipline that Uncle Howard could provide.
Nathan had lots of good qualities. For one, he was a very good looking boy with dark hair and big, brown eyes. He was average size for 12, but had developed a few effeminate qualities that worried his father. Maybe some good old fashioned hard work on the ranch and some good old fashioned discipline from Uncle Howard would help.
Uncle Howard had horses and cattle on his ranch of 120 acres. The bunkhouse, where Nathan would stay, was also the home for two full-time ranch hands, Hank and Big Jim.
Nathan was a little scared about being away from home for the whole summer, and was a little scared of his uncle, who had a reputation of being a "no nonsense" guy. When his uncle took him down to the bunkhouse, he hardly said a word, then gruffly said, "That's your bunk right there. And you can put your stuff in that chest over there. Lunch is in one hour. If you're late, you won't eat. You understand that, Nathan?"
Nathan muttered, "yes, yes, sir." And his uncle left.
Later that afternoon he met the two ranch hands, who seemed nice enough, except Big Jim, at least 6-4 and 260 pounds, said, "We're responsible for you, boy, so you had better do what we say. You understand?"
"Yea, yea, okay, yes sir," Nathan replied rather apprehensively.
"Otherwise," said Hank, "we might have to give you a whippin like we did to the last boy we had in here."
Then Big Jim said, "Before dinner you have to take a shower, boy. So strip off right now and git in that there shower."
When Nathan hesitated, Big Jim said, "Better do as I said right now or you just might get your first whippin."
With the two men watching him, Nathan stripped off his clothes, grabbed a towel and headed quickly for the shower room. He was a little embarrassed being naked in front of the two men, but he figured it was okay. After all, he really wanted to be just "one of the guys." That night, in fact, he slept in his Fruit of the Loom briefs, just like "one of the guys."
The next morning Nathan overslept and he found himself being drug out of bed by Hank, who also managed to give him a few smacks on his bottom. "Outa bed, boy, we got work to do today."
Well, it was bound to happen. Two days later, young Nathan got himself into trouble. He was caught throwing rocks at the cattle. And that was a pretty serious offense here on the ranch. It was his uncle who caught him, and gruffly told him, "Come to the barn with me, Nathan. I think a little punishment is in order."
He took Nathan to the corner of the barn and made the boy lower his jeans and lean over a pile of hay. Then his uncle went over, took a strap off the wall, walked over to Nathan, yanked his underpants down to bare his bottom, and gave the naughty lad five good, hard whacks. Nathan squirmed around, and screamed after each crack of the strap. While Nathan was standing, pulling up his underpants, wiping his tears and buttoning his jeans, his uncle told him, "Well, you have just received your first lesson here on the ranch. Now get out there and get to work!" Nathan left the barn holding his sore backside.
Later that afternoon, while walking naked to the shower, both the men made comments about the red marks, still quite visible, on Nathan's bottom. "Well, boy, maybe you won't go throwin' rocks at the cows no more. And, by the way, if you sleep in tomorrow morning, we will personally give you a strappin'"
Well, luck would have it, the next morning Nathan rolled around in his bed, but didn't rise. In fact, he missed breakfast. And when the two men came back to the bunkhouse, Nathan was still asleep.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" Big Jim said.
"I think we have a little sleeping beauty with us," Hank answered.
Hank pulled the sleepy Nathan out of his bunk, and had him stand in the middle of the floor, dressed in his Fruit of the Loom briefs, nothing else.
The two men sat on Nathan's bunk and stared at the boy, standing in his briefs, shivering in the middle of the bunkhouse. "Well, I think he needs to learn a lesson right now. What do you think, Big Jim?"
"I agree, Hank," was the reply. "Okay, Nathan, git them underpanties off, and git the strap hangin' over there."
Nathan stripped off his underpants, took the strap off the wall, and handed it to Hank, who then directed Nathan to lean over his bunk. Then they proceeded to give the boy five whacks each with the strap, a total of 10. And by the time it was over, young Nathan was howling in pain.
However, he learned his lesson well. For the rest of the summer, Nathan was never late getting up in the morning again.
But, of course, it was not his last whippin'.