It was one of the twice weekly sports afternoons at the Scroll Valley School for Boys, and with the Annual Sports Day, to which parents are invited, less than two weeks away the boys who had been selected to represent their respective houses in the various athletic competitions were training hard for the event. Those not selected also had to be present on the sports field in their sports kit, but for them it was very much a "do as you please" afternoon so long as they showed willing by doing a little bit of running about now and again.
Thus it was that five such boys, all twelve year old classmates, having trotted for a lap around the perimeter of the field, sat down on a long wooden bench attached to the wall of the sports equipment store and watched the various activities going on in the field. One of the five, Andrew Fuller, noticed that there were stinging nettles growing beneath the bench they were sitting on. His mischievous mind was hatching a little scheme! He carefully snapped off some of the nettles until he had a bundle of about eight or nine of them in his hand, which he then hid behind his back.
Other boys were continuously walking past them. Fuller waited until three prep form boys, seven to eight year olds, approached, and as they got level with him he jumped up from the bench and rapped the nettles against the back of the legs of the nearest of the three small boys. The boy yelped and sprang forward clasping his hands on the affected area. Fuller and his friends laughed out loud, and then waited for another unsuspecting victim to come by. Fuller was only looking for the small boys, he would not dare to try it on someone his own size!
Arnold Thomson, the Head Boy of the school, a keen athlete, had been training hard that afternoon. He had been asked by the sports master, Mr. Glebe, if he could find the time to check whether all the equipment that would be needed for the big day was in good order. There was a side door to the equipment store and this was the one which Thomson had been given the key to. He had approached the building from the rear, so he was unaware of the five boys at the front and they, in turn, were unaware that the prefect was in the building. In fact, Thomson was already inside when Fuller had started his little escapade with the nettles.
Thomson had heard the first yelp and the laughter but took no notice - boys are always squealing and laughing.. A few moments later he heard almost identical noises, and then it happened a third time. Thomson got curious. There was a high window which happened to be above the spot where the five boys were sitting. He pulled a packing case under the window and climbed up in order to see outside. He could see the five boys directly below him and could see the mischievous grins on their faces. He did not have long to wait to find out what was afoot. Soon two more of the nippers got the nettle treatment!
"So that`s the little game!" Thomson thought to himself. He climbed down, being careful to make no noise, went outside and waited at the corner of the building just out of sight of the five boys. Three likely subjects came along. Thomson peeped round the corner and watched Fuller leap out with the stinging nettles. His little victim screamed out and jumped forward clutching the back of his legs. It was now time for Thomson to let Fuller know that he had got company!
"Fuller!" Thomson yelled out at the top of his voice.
The laughter stopped abruptly and five heads swung round simultaneously to look at Thomson. Fuller, with that frightened guilty look of someone who had been caught in the act, hastily dropped the nettles.
"Come here Fuller!" ordered Thomson. The other four boys stood up and started to move away to make themselves scarce. "Come back you four! Get back on that that bench and stay there untill I tell you to do otherwise! Fuller, you will come with me!"
Thomson led the fearful boy into the equipment store. "Enjoying yourself, were you Fuller?"
"Er. Er. No Thomson!"
"You wern`t? Then why were you stinging those boys legs?"
"Er. Umm. Er. I don`t know!"
"You mean to say you gather up a bunch of stinging nettles, hide them behind your back, dash out and whip them around those youngsters legs and you have no idea why you were doing it! Does that make sense to you?"
"Umm. Er. No, Thomsom!"
"Then why were you doing it?"
"Er. I don`t know!"
Thomson was enjoying the situation! It was obvious to both of them that there was only one answer to the question. Fuller had done it for the sheer fun of it! But how could the boy give an answer like that! On the other hand "I don`t know" was an absolute nonsensical answer! Thomson had got him in a corner!
"Suppose I make a suggestion!" said Thomson, "You were doing it because you thought it was great fun, weren`t you?"
Fuller thought desperately for some sort of sensible answer other than the real one, but he had to admit defeat!
"Er. Yes Thomson!" There was no other answer!
"Do you think those youngsters were enjoying having their legs stung?"
"No, Thomson." admitted the boy.
"Well now it`s my turn to have some fun! We are going to find out how you like being stung! But not on your legs, Fuller. A bit higher up than that on that part of your anatomy more suited for the purpose! I am going to spank you!"
Fuller`s stomach looped the loop! He had never been spanked. He had no idea how much it might hurt or how he would react.
There was a heap of folding chairs in the corner of the room. Thomson opened up one of them and placed it in the middle of the room."Wait here until I get back!" said Thomson as he went out of the door. He went round to the front of the building where the other four boys were sitting.
"Right you four! Inside!" he snapped as he beckoned to them with his finger to follow him.
"We didn`t do anything Thomson! Honest!" pleaded one boy.
"I didn`t say you did!" replied Thomson, "now do as you`re told! Follow me!"
Fuller`s heart missed a beat when he saw his four friends being led into the room! Thomson lined them up about about two yards from the chair.
"You four found Fuller`s little show quite amusing, didn`t you? Well now you are going to see an even better show from me! You can really laugh your heads off this time! I have brought you in here to watch Fuller being spanked!
Thomson sat down on the chair. "Come here Fuller!"
The other four had been placed to Thomson`s right so that they would have a full view of Fuller`s butt while it was being smacked! To Fuller this seemed the ultimate humiliation, being spanked in front of his friends! The only piece of dignity he could have left would be to take it like a man and get up smiling!
Thomson lifted the boy across his knees. He had no intention of spanking him with his shorts on, but first he wanted to admire the view! There was something very appealing about those thin, brilliant white shorts stretched tightly around those two young bum-cheeks!
"Now I come to think of it, Fuller," said Thomson, "you were stinging those boys on there bare skin. I think you should have the same treatment!" Thomson patted him three times on the seat of his shorts. "I think we will have these off!" he said lifting the boy onto his feet again. "Take down your shorts!"
Spanked on the bare! In front of his friends! "Oh! Please no Thomson...."
"Get them down!" shouted Thomson.
Very reluctantly Fuller obeyed. He was again lifted over the prefects knees. Thomson, of course, was in his shorts, so he now had the half naked boy across his own bare knees. A first even for Thomson! Fullers two unblemished bum-cheeks curved beautifully towards each other until they met in the crack; like two ballons placed side by side!
Thomson raised his arm to it`s full height and brought his hand crashing down on that enticing target!
"Crack"
Fuller could hardly believe that a single spank could be so painful. It stung like mad! He became aware of Thomson`s voice.
"Put your legs down!"
The boy was not even aware that he had folded his legs up to cover his bottom! It had been an unconscious reaction. He lowered them and awaited the next blow. Thomson was in no hurry. He was not a machine-gun spanker! He liked to give the pain of each spank time to reach it`s full height, and at the same time admire that squirming little arse only about eighteen inches below his eyes!
"Crack!"
"Legs Fuller!" as they started to fold again.
"Crack!"
Fuller knew that he was not going to hold back the tears much longer. The pain was unbearable! He could forget about getting up smiling!
"Crack!"
He could feel the tears beginning to trickle down his face. How many more smacks? Thomson had not told him. In fact, the prefect was playing it by ear - quite literally!
"Crack!"
"Aoool-aoool-aoool!" Now Fuller was crying out aloud.
"Legs DOWN boy!"
"Crack!"
"That`s six of the best!" said Thomson. "you are going to get three more for continously putting your legs up, and if you put them up again I will add even more!"
"Crack!"
Somehow he managed to force his legs to keep down. Now he was not just crying but screaming out like a baby!
"Crack!"
"Crack!"
Thomson did deliver the last two smacks quickly to put the boy out of his misery! The prefect lifted him back onto his feet. He immediately clasped his hands on his burning rump. The four onlookers were expressionless, still not sure whether they were in trouble or not.
"Pull your shorts up" ordered Thomson. Fuller did so; the tears cascading down his face. "Everybody outside"
Thomson took them round to the bench. "Right! Two laps of the sports field, all of you. And I shall stay here to see that you do it!"
Four boys trotted off, but Fuller remained where he was, his knuckles fighting a losing battle with the tears!
"That includes you Fuller!" Fuller did not make a move. "Pronto! or I will take you back inside for another spanking!"
That was all the encouragement he needed! Half blinded with tears he set off along the perimiter of the field. Thomson settled himself on the bench. A few moments later he was joined by Mr. Glebe.
"Have you checked the equipement Thomson?"
"Yes sir. Everything`s in good condition."
"Good!" said the sports master, "By the way, I`ve just seen that young Fuller running round the field crying his eyes out!"
Thomson smiled. "I know sir"
"Oh! You know! Do you know why?"
"Yes sir. He got hold of a bunch of stinging nettles!"
"What!" said Mr. Glebe incredulously, "A twelve year old crying like a baby because he got stung by stinging nettles!"
"Well it wasn`t quite like that, sir. You see I caught him with the nettles in his hand stinging the prep form boy`s legs, so....."
"Knowing you I think I can guess the rest, Thomson!" interjected Mr. Glebe. He gave a chuckle. "With his shorts down?"
"Of course!" replied Thomson, "A job worth doing is worth doing well!"
"It`s about time somebody did that to that cheeky little devil! I`ve been longing to have a go at him myself, but he seems to know just how far he can push you."
"In my case, sir," observed Thomson, "that`s not very far"