"How is it that your two boys are so obedient and well behaved and Harry is just plain obnoxious all the time?" asked Jack Savage.
" . . . I mean, he's even got that smug look about him half the time. He just won't do as he's told."
Jack was not in a good frame of mind today as his golf was of a pitiful standard.
"What's the answer, Phil?" he asked. "How do you get Stuart and James to be so well behaved?"
"I find that if they know what's expected of them, more often than not they're no problem at all."
"Well," Jack replied. "What do you find is the answer when they don't do what you expect them to? I mean they can't be perfect all the time, can they?"
Phil had a very straightforward answer to that question.
"Of course not! All boys step out of line every now and then and Stuart and James are no exception. But when it occurs the problem is solved very quickly. They both know that any sign of disobedience results in a good dose of punishment and the thought of that generally keeps them in line. What do you do when Harry doesn't follow instructions?"
"Usually," replied Jack, "I cut off his allowance for the week but it doesn't seem to make any difference."
"I found that's a complete waste of time. In fact most things I tried were pretty useless, or at best short lived, until Wal Burton suggested that I give them a good flogging whenever they step out of line. And, I tell you, it works. Discipline with a whipping every now and then and they soon toe the line again."
"But Stuart's sixteen and James is seventeen. They're a bit old for that aren't they?"
"My philosophy is that no boy's ever too old for a good thrashing, Jack. It does them the world of good and does wonders for their conduct in the future. You, yourself, said the two boys were well behaved."
"Look, why don't you come home with me now? Harry's with my two boys at the moment. James hasn't had a good hiding for a few weeks and another one wouldn't do Stuart any harm either. He could do with some settling down. The pair of them were a bit too stroppy for my liking this morning. In fact, Harry can witness the punishment. It might do him some good."
"I've got a better idea, Phil. After your two are punished, I'll give Harry a serve, too. It might just make the world of difference."
"Good idea."
James was basking in the sun when they arrived home and Stuart was playing basketball with Harry.
"Stuart. James. Get down to the den at once!" Phil commanded. "And be quick about it, too."
The tone of voice was enough. James and Stuart could both tell that trouble was on the way.
Knowing well that they should not even hesitate when they heard that tone of voice, they moved promptly. James jumped from the garden seat and Harry was left on his own as the two boys made their way quickly to the den.
Phil left them there for some time to contemplate their fate!
After about fifteen or so minutes had passed, Harry headed to the den to see what was going on. He found his basketball mate, Stuart, looking decidedly glum.
"What's all this about?" he asked. "You look pretty miserable."
You wouldn't be too happy if you knew what was coming, either," Stuart replied. "It looks as though James and I are both going to get it. I suspected this might be coming. We had a bit of a row this morning before dad left for golf and we both guessed we were going to be punished as soon as he got home this afternoon."
"It can't be that bad, can it?" Harry asked.
"It depends whether we just get a lecture or whether we get a whipping. My guess is that it'll be the whip and if it is that's a good reason why I'm looking miserable. What's more it's nothing to what we'll both be like afterwards."
"I'm sure it can't be that bad, mate," said Harry.
"It is, I can assure you," replied Stuart.
"Come on!" replied Harry. "I mean, Dad hasn't given me a thrashing for years. He gave up when he could see it didn't really do me any good. That sort of punishment only works with young kids. I don't see why you're so concerned about it. It can't possibly be that severe, surely?"
"Wait and see and then give me your opinion," added Stuart.
At that point, Phil's voice could be heard from upstairs.
"James, get the strap out of the cupboard and the pair of you get ready for punishment."
Immediately, Jack retrieved the strap from the den cupboard and the two boys promptly stripped down to their underwear.
"Now, can you see why I'm so worried, Harry?" Stuart asked.
"Why do you have to strip? Don't you get it around the legs like I used to?" asked Harry.
"We'll both be stripped completely when the punishment starts and, no, we don't get it on the legs like little kids. We get whipped on the bare backside!"
Harry was starting to realise what Stuart meant when James handed him the strap.
"See what I mean? You've only got to take one look at it to understand how hard the whipping's going to be."
The leather strap was a metre in length and four or five 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.
On the rare occasions when the boys needed such punishment, the pain was excruciating but the punishment extremely effective.
James by this stage was preparing the leather strap for punishment. To prepare the strap, James lubricated the four end thongs with vaseline to keep it flexible and in peak condition. If their father wasn't happy with its flexibility, James knew he would be in for additional punishment.
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.
Whilst James was readying the strap, Stuart moved the table to the centre of the room in readiness for the punishments. During the floggings the boys would bend low over the table.
"I'm getting out of here," said Harry.
"No, you're not young man," Jack told him as he and Phil entered the den. "You can stay and witness this punishment. And what's more, when Phil's sons have been punished you can have some, too. It might be just what you need, boy, to straighten you out!"
"Right, Stuart. Off with the shorts. James, get your briefs off."
Phil inspected the strap to ascertain that it was properly prepared.
The boys stood together against the wall, awaiting the next instruction. Both were wondering how many they were going to get and how long they could hold out without screaming.
"And don't you move, Harry," Jack instructed. "Watch carefully and learn the penalty for disobedience."
Phil turned to Jack. "Now, Jack," he said. "These boys are basically well behaved young men and I'm very proud of them but they know, as well as I do, that when they get out of line, the best way to straighten them out is with a good flogging. Right boys?"
"Yes, Sir."
"And you were both out of line this morning. Weren't you, James? Weren't you, Stuart?"
"Yes, Sir," the boys agreed.
"Right, then. We shall show Jack and Harry how poor behaviour will not be tolerated in this house. James. You may go first for punishment. Get yourself over the table, please."
Harry stood there, still with his hands in his pocket and that perpetual grin on his face. He couldn't see that this punishment would be of any real concern.
But he soon realised just what lay in store for him.
James positioned himself across the table and spread his legs wide apart so that his buttocks were exposed for the full force of the whipping.
Stuart stood to attention, observing closely and awaiting his turn over the desk. Witnessing their brother being thrashed was part of the punishment and they dare not turn their eyes for fear of being instantly summoned for an additional dose of the whip for themselves.
Phil positioned the strap and lightly flexed it across his son's buttocks. He then drew the strap back high over his shoulders and swung it with a mighty force. As it flayed across the boy, Stuart drew a sigh. He could feel what has brother was experiencing.
"One, Sir," called James as was the custom to always count the punishment.
Again, the strap landed like a crack of thunder across the boy's backside and James jerked upwards.
"_d_a_m_n_," he thought to himself. He knew the penalty for moving during punishment.
"Get up,"ordered his father. "You know what's next, don't you?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Well, fetch the cane . . . and be quick about it."
Phil turned to Jack and Harry and explained what was to happen.
"The boys know to remain still during any whipping," he advised, "and if they don't, they also get a taste of the cane."
James handed his father a thick metre length cane and then bent over and touched his toes. Both Stuart and Harry could see that the lad was almost in tears. Four solid cuts were laid across the boy's backside.
Now he was in tears, but the boy accepted the punishment without question. He knew he had broken the rules of punishment and must take the consequences. He knew also that the previous stroke of the whip would not be counted.
Phil handed the cane to Stuart and James resumed his position over the den table.
The punishment continued . . . . "Two, Sir . . . Three, Sir . . . Four, Sir . . . Five, Sir . . . Six, Sir . . . Seven, Sir . . . Eight, Sir . . . Nine, Sir . . . " and he flinched again.
"The cane please, Stuart," his father instructed.
Stuart handed his father the cane as James moved back from the table and again touched his toes. Another four solid cuts were laid across his buttocks.
By this stage, Harry was frozen with fear. Was he going to get the same, he wondered?
James was really crying now uncontrollably.
However, he knew what he must do and he did it. He again spread himself over the table, in readiness for the rest of his punishment. The whipping resumed.
"Nine, Sir . . .Ten, Sir . . . Eleven, Sir. . . Twelve, Sir."
"You may get up now, James. Your punishment is completed."
"Thank you, Dad," the boy acknowledged and shook his father's hand firmly. "I deserved it."
"That is the way the boys need to be punished every now and then," Phil advised his friend Jack, "and then, as the boys will confirm, they'll toe the line for a time.
It was Stuart's turn to receive the punishment the second time in a week that the boy had been flogged. James stood back ready to witness his brother's punishment. He hoped for Stuart's sake that could last better than he did without flinching too much.
Jack instructed Harry to strip to his briefs as his turn was next. The boy did so immediately as he was determined to show his father that he wasn't afraid of a good thrashing.
"Well, young man," said his father. "It's not often either of you come back for a second dose so soon, is it?"
"No, Sir," Stuart replied.
"Perhaps it wasn't hard enough last time. Well, we'd better not make the same mistake again, had we?"
"Right, my boy. We'll give you a warm up dose of the cane to start with. James, hand me the cane, please, and while Stuart's being caned you can moisten the strap again."
James again moistened the end thongs with the vaseline and Stuart bent over and touched his toes. Eight good cuts were administered to the lad's backside, and the boy screamed with each stroke.
Harry was starting to realise that maybe this was a solid sort of punishment. Nevertheless, he felt sure he could take it without too much suffering.
The caning completed, Stuart approached the table and assumed the punishment position. He grasped the other side of the table to steady himself.
And so the flogging commenced. It was solid!
"One, Sir . . . Two, Sir . . . Three, Sir . . . Four, Sir," the boy counted. As yet he had not moved a muscle for fear of another caning.
"Five, Sir . . . Six, Sir . . . Seven, Sir . . . Eight, Sir," and he flinched. This eighth stroke was not counted!
Once again Phil reached again for the cane and Stuart touched his toes as his father wielded another four strokes across the lad's backside.
Stuart resumed his position over the desk and took the last five strokes of his whipping without moving."
"Punishment completed," his father advised.
The boy stood. Between his tears, he shook his father's hand and thanked him for correcting him.
Jack now instructed Harry to remove his briefs and to get ready for punishment.
"Now," he said, "and quickly!"
James put his briefs back on and Stuart dragged on his boxer shorts. Both of them, however, felt it might have been more comfortable if they left them off as they were so sore from their whippings.
Jack told both Stuart and James to remain and witness Harry's punishment.
Despite all of his bravado, Harry soon knew for himself what the other two had been through; only Jack was far more severe with the punishment than Phil had been with his own sons. He was determined to see a change in Harry.
He lashed his son's buttocks fifteen times with the leather strap and followed this up with another fifteen cuts of the cane. When Harry then swore at his father, Jack pushed the boy back over the table and administered a further eight strokes of the whip.
Harry apologised for his rudeness and didn't sit down for a fortnight.
From that day on Harry was a different young man. He was obedient and respectful, because he feared that if he were not, well, he didn't want to go through that sort of punishment too frequently.
And Jack was now convinced of the benefits of a good flogging in keeping young boys in line.