The staff had all assembled in the staff common room for our weekly meeting. They listened attentively as I addressed them.
"Gentlemen, as you know the representative of Coopers visited yesterday and I placed the usual orders to replenish our stock of canes. I undertsand that delivery will be within the next week. I would like to thank you for your nominations of boys to participate in the demonstrations yesterday and am pleased to report that they acquited themselves very well indeed and are, might I say, a credit to the school."
I permitted myself a smile and notices a smug grin on the faces of many present. Mr Rogers from Coopers, the cane manufacturers, required a selection of boys to be available for him to demonstrate his wares on and for me to use to test out the products. Many staff relished nominating the most deserving boys - but more of this another time.
"Mr Rogers is now supplying a junior cane that is quite different to anything that we currently stock. The cane in question is only two and a half feet long and 8mm thick of less. It is remarkably whippy and makes a delightful sound when swished through the air. In demonstration it proved most effective so I have placed an order for six dozen with crook handles."
I noticed the ears prick up on many of my colleagues when the size of the order was mentioned. Mr Swinburn of the Maths department spoke first: "How is it more effective than our standard issue, headmaster?".
"Gentlemen, the way in which I intend it to be used is the reason for this generous order. Each or you wil be issued with one of these canes which you may use to administer immediate punishment for minor offences: a wrong spelling, an ink smudge, dropping a book, and a million other small infractions that might not warrant a proper caning - the difference being that I will not require you to record the use of these canes in the punishment book as I do not consider the strokes delivered as severe enought o warrant a record being kept."
I could see the idea being well received on the faces of my staff. being able to meet out immediate sanction without the paperwork could be very rewarding! i could se the canes being well used.
"It also occurs to me that those occasions when a class is restless or listful, or possible rather too noisy on your arrival, might benefit from a stroke or two each all round, and these canes would be ideal for that.
"I would suggest that they are generally applied across the hand and can assure you from yesterday that you may apply as much force as you wish, even to the youngest boys. Indeed, it is the youngest of our charges that I feel would most usefully beenfit from this addition to our armoury. Not least, the fact that they look and sound severe I envisage many a boy doing all he can to avoid these canes as they would any other.
"I also intend to issue a dozen to be gheld by the head boy for use by him and the prefects. I will discuss the details with them separately. I know some of you have had reservation about the prefects being given caning powers but I fell these canes will provide the solution i have been looking for."
"Headmaster," it was Mr Johnson of French, "I regularly conduct vocab tests which are marked out of 20. Would you allow me to reward errors with a stroke from one of these canes do you think?"
"I can see the possible advantage to you in the classroom with this approach but there is the possibility - extreme I would hope - that a boy could find himself on the receiving end of 20 strokes and while this might not be any more severe that four or six strokes of the standard canes you all have, it would not really be possible to leave such punishment unrecorded. Therefore I feel I must say no."
Mr Harris from PE spoke next. "Headmaster, I see two additional uses in my area. First, we often find boys noisy and boisterous in the showers and changing rooms and I am reluctant to cane them when they are not correctly dressed. If I could use one of these canes to "encourage" them it would be appreciated."
"Certainly, and there is no problem with applying them to unclother behinds - as I can testify from yesterday." I smiled broadly.
"Secondly," continued Mr Harris, "they would be of use in the gym when a vault is not good or press-ups and such not up to scratch."
"I agree and would certainly support your subject - but no other - applying them across the backs of the thighs. This might be for punishment of, as you suggest, to improve performance. I am sure the older boys will find their ability at chinning the bar greatly improved with a stripe of two across the back of their thighs as they srain for that additional rep.
"If there is nothing more, gentlemen, I will inform you when the canes arrive."
So saying I left the staff common room and returned to my study, eager to do so as I had a case of bullying to deal with and a new approach to try out.
When I neared my study I saw the guilty party waiting outside. Adam was a 16 year old lad that should know better, a lot better. He was probably bigger than most boys his age or younger, indeed than many of the sixth form, and had no need to bully anyone. He was in most of our sports teams and extremely muscular and fit with a tremendous physique for his age. Two prefects had discovered that he had a group of younger boys running errands for him, something I did not allow. When he found fault in their performance he made them do press-ups, sit-ups and other physical tasks, always setteing a target that they could not achieve. There was no evidence of physical assault by him but what I knew was enough.
Standing either side of him were the two prefects. Adam was dressed, as instructed, in his indoor PE kit. The white tee shirt was tight around his powerful chest and the shorts emphasise his impressive thighs. He would be a delight to cane.
I enetered my study and instructed the punishment party to follow me. I had prepared the room earlier, leaving on my desk two crook-handles senior canes and the punishment book. additionally there were three of the new junior canes that Mr Rogers had left on approval.
I aksed one of the prefects to explain the problem, which he did succinctly. I asked Adam for an explanation but only received a shrug of the shoulders in response. He was clearly expecting a caning and wanted it over with.
I said nothing for a good minute, looking at him as if expecting a better reply. none was of course forthcoming. I picked up one of the new canes and flexed it as I would any other. It looked like a toy in comparison to the other models on my desk.
I walked behind
the assembled group, who all knew that they must stand to attention
and face my desk when in my room. Without warning I brought this new
cane down hard "A question I asked my question again an this time got
a verbal answer, albeit unsatisfactory. I understand that boys who
do not comply with your instructions are made to do physical challenges.
Perhaps you deserve a taste of your own medicine. Go over to the wall."
I pointed with the cane to a blank section of wall along one side
of my office. "Stand about a foot from the wall with your back to
it." He did as instructed, clearly curious. "Lean your shoulders
back against the wall and slowly slide them down the wall until you
are in a sitting position. Stop!" He had done this and was now squatting
against the wall with his back flat against it and his thighs parallel
with the floor, knees at precisely 90 degrees. "Hold that position". I
had already said that he was powerfully built but now with his muscular
thighs straining he really was an impressive sight. I noticed that
the two prefects registered this fact rather enviously, I thought.
One had his hand over his groin. I picked up two heavy text books
and instructed Adam to hold out his hands to either side. Having added
that his arms were to be straight I placed one book on each hand. "If
you drop a book I will cane that hand." The instructions were clear.
The sitting position could be maintained by fit boys for about a minute
and the books remain on straight and horizontal arms for a similar
period. I waited patiently, flexing my new cane. It was nearly one
and a half minutes before the first book fell. I indicated to one
of the prefects to collect it from the floor and asked Adam to hold
his hand out. That
book was dropped two moretimes and the other one twice in the next
minute. By now his legs were screaming in agony for him but he was
still impressively holding the pose. I instructed the two prefects
to remove the books and help him to his feet - something that was
necessary as he did not have the strength in his legs to do so himself. I
had other ideas in mind but felt that my point had been well made.
I replaced the junior cane on my desk and selected one of the senior
models, this one being one of the weightiest I had. "Adam brown,
for bulyying younger boys I am awarding you eight strokes of the cane.
Go across my desk please." He knew the routine well and stepped
up to the desk, legs and arms aching and hands stinging. He laid across
the desk which was the height of his legs, causing his buttocks to
be presented perfectly for my cane. Even in this position his physique
was admirable. "Assist please, gentlemen." The prefects knew this
meant that I required the boy to be restrained, something I ofetn
did for more severe canings. They stepped round the desk and each
grasped one of Adam's wrists, pressing down on his elbow with their
free hand. I discovered years ago that well-built sportsmen have
the most caneable buttocks. Adam's were now presented at an ideal
height with his thin white shorts stretched tight around them. The
target was large and so was the cane - there would be no need to hold
back. I believe that the best canings are administered in strict
time, the strokes being exactly the same interval apart. This means
that the boy knows exactly when the next stroke is coming and can
do nothing to avoid it. I allowed myself to take a couple of steps
back to ensure that it was a full swing and laid the first stroke
on hard. Without
restrint there is no doubt that the last stroke would have caused
him to rise from the desk, not something that I approved of. "Release
him. "Stand up." We could all see that the message had got home.
He was clearly in great pain and had been suitably punished. Good! "Dismiss". Adam
turned and slowly walked out of the room. I don't somehow think this
punishment would be a topic of conversation in the dorm this evening. The
prefects remained and I invited them to sit. I began to explain
about the new junior canes I had ordered... If any reader would
like to rewrite this story from either Adam's perspective of one of
the prefects' it would be well received!
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