Walter Griggs, his wife and five sons lived on a farm in the country. He had inherited the property from his father, who in turn had inherited it from his father. Indeed he had spent his entire life on the farm. It was indeed his entire life. He enjoyed living there with his family and he neither knew nor wanted to know any other way of life.
His property was quite an extensive piece of landholding and he produced a mixture of cattle, sheep and wheat. The family homestead was a rather large two-storey building.
He believed fervently that each member of the family had an important role on the farm, including the three children who were still at school. They would be expected to tend to a variety of farm chores both before and after school and at weekends.
The eldest two lads, now aged 18 and 17, had left school and were working full time on the farm as general farmhands. He expected them, particularly, to put in a good day's work each and every day.
As head of the family, Walter held very traditional ideas and values and with five sons ranging in age from 18 to 11 he believed in the old fashioned approach to discipline. Each of them, regardless of age, was still subject to some regular good lessons with the strap should their conduct err from the straight and narrow or should they become slack with their farm chores.
Believing also that prevention was a most effective form of discipline, even if the boys had not recently misbehaved, the five lads would be summoned together once a week and instructed to strip to their underpants in preparation for a beating.
Punishments were rarely administered in the homestead but when they were due to be given the boys would be instructed to go to the wool shed and await their father's arrival. This they would all do without question.
However, any such visits to the woolshed were accompanied by a great deal of trepidation as they all knew well what lay in store for them and it was no mild rebuke!
Had they been guilty of any misdemeanours during the past week, at this time they would be given their just "rewards" in addition to what their father termed the "preventative" punishment. The "preventative" punishment was designed to act not only as a reminder to his sons to "toe the line or else" but to pull their weight around the property.
The extent of the "preventative" punishment was determined by the boys' ages one stroke of the strap across the bare buttocks would be given for each year of their age. This "preventative" punishment would not be administered if the boys had not been in any trouble at all for the past three consecutive weeks.
Walter kept two leather straps hanging on the wall of the shed in readiness for use on the boys. The smaller strap for the younger lads was a leather strap about thirty centimetres in length and about four centimetres wide. It had a very positive effect on the younger boys' behaviour.
However, once his sons reached fourteen years of age they would "graduate" to the senior strap. This was a much more substantial piece of leather about a metre in length and eight centimetres wide. The end of the strap was split into four thin strips, so that when administered, each stroke had the effect of four separate lashes. The pain was excruciating each time it struck their naked buttocks.
Whilst awaiting their father's arrival for their punishment, the boys would assiduously prepare for their beatings. The two straps would be taken from the wall and lubricated with vaseline to keep them in peak condition.
In addition, the lads knew that a well moistened strap was a great deal more painful when it was inflicted, and as such their father assured them that it would provide them with a much stronger lesson when lashed across their bare bottoms.
When the wool sorting table was cleared in readiness, the boys would then strip to their underpants and line up according to their ages 18,17,15,13 and 11.
The two youngest boys, Alex,13 and Tim,11 were already in tears on this particular night, one of them crying uncontrollably. Neither of them stood up well to a beating.
Whilst sympathising with them, both Glenn,18 and Greg,17 told them how fortunate they were to be getting only the lighter strap rather than the senior strap, which was more like a whip.
In fact, Greg soon became totally fed up with Tim who continued to howl. He grabbed his young brother, pulled down his briefs and threw the boy over the table.
"For goodness sake, stop being such a cry-baby," Greg said. "Pass me the whip," he called to his brother Glenn and I'll show him what we have to put up with. If we've got to put up with this continual noise, then I'll give him something to really scream about."
As he drew back the whip, ready to flay it across his brother's buttocks, he heard his father approaching. He knew that if he were caught hitting his younger brother he would be in for an even worse thrashing himself. Immediately he put the strap back on the table and ordered young Tim to put his briefs back on.
The boys' father arrived and the lads snapped to attention. When summoned, each boy dropped his underpants and spread himself over the shed's sorting table. His brothers then witnessed the flogging. This, according to the boys' father, served as a salutary warning to all of them and was an important part of the disciplinary process.
Glenn, as the eldest, was expected to set an example to his brothers and he was to be thrashed with the senior strap, or whip, as the older boys referred to it.
Glenn, 18, was a thin lad with long blondish hair. Despite his age he reacted rather loudly to his sessions of punishment, to say the least! In fact, he was little better than his youngest brother!
Although frequently in trouble for being tardy with his farm duties, this week the boy had not been in any particular trouble and was pleased to be receiving only the minimum flogging on this occasion.
Nevertheless, he now had eighteen strokes of the senior strap to withstand and this he was rarely able to do. This incensed his father as he expected his eldest son to set an example to his brothers and to take his punishment silently. His father was not prepared to tolerate this type of reaction.
If Glenn, as the eldest, even flinched during punishment, let alone even made a sound, he would remain stripped after his initial punishment and told to rejoin the end of the line.
Tonight he yelled several times and after his first eighteen strokes was told to join the end of the line until his brothers had received their punishment. He was then to resume his position over the sorting table for the entire punishment to be repeated.
Otherwise, after his beating he would have been permitted to put his underpants back on whilst he remained at attention to witness his brothers' punishments.
Greg, the 17 year old, was next in line at punishment sessions. He was frequently a bit too smart for himself and needed "straightening out" according to his father. He had a very solid build and at times a most contemptuous attitude.
Because of his physique, he stood up well to his floggings. But tonight he again displayed his attitude trait and his punishment, too, was doubled.
No mercy was spared as the leather strap flayed across his buttocks but unlike his brother, Glenn, he took the additional beating immediately.
These beatings, however, generally proved quite effective as a deterrent and more often than not the boys did not even have to receive the "preventative" punishment. As far as the boys were concerned, a severe thrashing, although naturally extremely unpleasant, was very beneficial to them and usually did them a lot of good by keeping them in line and out of trouble for some considerable time.
Adam was 15 and this was his lucky week! He had not been in trouble now for three weeks and tonight he was to escape a strapping entirely.
This, however, did not exempt him from attendance at the punishment session and like his brothers he was stripped to his underpants and witnessed his four other brothers as they received their share of the strap.
As for Alex, who was 13, he just never seemed to be in such a similar position. In addition to his "preventative" punishment, on this occasion he was to receive an additional twelve strokes for numerous offences over the past few days, some of which had occurred at school.
Alex was a likeable but very mischievous young man. He was at that age when boys are constantly getting into trouble and it seemed that the strap did not always manage to gain the desired effect.
He was ready for his flogging. He had reached the front of the line and before even being instructed, he had dropped his underpants and was spread over the table. The lad had a sense of bravado and was determined to show that he "could take it•.
Because of his age, he was permitted a "break• between his punishments for his misbehaviour and his "preventative• punishment which was to follow.
After he received his initial twelve lashes, his father reminded him that in a month's time, when he turned fourteen he would be subject to the senior strap. Maybe, his father commented, this would soon straighten him out.
The boy was then told to join the end of the line, when he would be given his remaining strokes after his brother, Glenn, had received his additional punishment for "yelping like a puppy•.
Dad surveyed the line of boys! Tim, the youngest who was 11, was now at the front of the line, had dropped his briefs and was awaiting the instruction to get over the table.
Adam, who had escaped punishment tonight, was next in line, alongside his brother Greg, who was now looking decidedly upset after his thirty-four lashes and he hadn't even done anything wrong this week. It was just his usual contemptuous attitude that had cost him a double dose of "preventative" punishment. This determined young man seemed to refuse to recognise the cost of his continual arrogance.
Glenn was awaiting his eighteen strokes to be repeated and finally Alex, who had just received twelve lashes for unsatisfactory behaviour was awaiting his "preventative" dose of another thirteen lashes. Would these boys never learn, their father asked of himself?
Tim was summoned to step forward and to get over the table. The lad again broke into tears. At just 11 years of age, not only was he plain scared of the strap, but he had already had to witness three of his brothers being whipped solidly, with two of them awaiting further punishment.
He was due for just two strokes for disobedience, but an additional dose of another eleven "preventative" strokes.
He cried continuously as the lighter strap lashed heavily across his bare bottom, leaving very visible welts.
After eight stokes, Adam, who had so far escaped punishment tonight, felt so sorry for his younger brother that he asked if he could take Tim's remaining five strokes. He just could not stand by and witness young Tim being thrashed so solidly.
Adam was told that if he wanted to take his brother's place, he would have to take Tim's full punishment of thirteen strokes and because he was older, he would receive the senior strap.
Undeterred, he stripped and took Tim's place across the table and was beaten soundly. Adam, being older, felt he could take the whipping better than his young brother.
Even Tim felt every one of the thirteen strokes that were laid across his brother's buttocks.
Adam, too, was soon crying uncontrollably. He had not been expecting any punishment tonight as he had been out of trouble for some time and so he was neither mentally nor physically prepared for a thrashing. Nevertheless, he was pleased, for his brother's sake, to take his place.
When Adam returned to the punishment line, Tim thanked him for his kindness and assured him he would make it up to him in some way.
It was now Glenn's turn to resume his position across the table. His father spared no mercy as another eighteen solid strokes lashed across his son's buttocks.
"I don't care how old you are, boy," he said to his son after he rose. "As long as you are part of this family, you'll behave yourself and work hard and you'll accept the same discipline as your brothers when you get out of line. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Sir," Glenn replied. "I expect to be punished when I do the wrong thing and to take punishment to keep me out of trouble, just as the others do. I'll try not to yell so much next time, Dad."
Even for an 18 year old, thirty-six strokes was a solid punishment, but the boy genuinely accepted that he deserved such for the act he had put on.
Further, as the oldest, he knew he must become a more responsible person if he were to take over the management of the property when his father retired.
He mentally accepted that if a number of good whippings were necessary to help him achieve this sense of responsibility, then so be it.
"Well, we must be near the end of the line. Yes, Alex, it's time for your "preventative medicine." Spread yourself over the table, please and be quick about it."
Alex thanked his father for allowing him the time between his twelve disciplinary lashes and his dose of "preventative" punishment and resumed his position across the table.
His father lashed savagely at his buttocks with the leather strap and the boy felt determined that he was going to mend his ways and to keep himself out of trouble.
Only time would determine of the boy's aim was to be successful. His father certainly hoped it would be. His punishment completed, Alex was told to put his underpants back on and to join his brothers in line.
Walter Griggs walked along the line of boys, stopping in front of each one and speaking to him.
"Greg. Your attitude is what gets you into trouble. It's time you changed it. Otherwise, your behaviour and the manner in which you work around the property is much more mature these days."
"Tim, you should be grateful to Adam. That was a brave thing he did for you accepting your punishment."
"Adam. Because of your good behaviour these recent weeks and because of your kindness to your brother tonight, your next punishment will be halved."
"Thank you, Sir."
"Glenn. It is time you acted your age. You've kept yourself out of trouble now for two weeks. See if you can do so longer and when you do get punished, take it like a man and don't put on such a show in front of your brothers."
"And you, young Alex. The junior strap doesn't seem to do much good to you any more, does it? Well, very soon it will be the senior strap. Maybe that will make a difference."
"Right, boys, you are dismissed. I trust next week that there will be fewer lessons to be learnt with the strap!"