The four little nine year old boys did not sleep well that night. Their bottoms throbbed from the strap, and they could not get their minds off the thought of the caning that each would be getting from the headmaster. They had been expecting to be sent to take their punishment straight after assembly, so were surprised when Matron sent them off to see sir as soon as they had eaten their breakfast. As soon as the four little chaps were lined up outside the headmaster's office, they were ordered to remove their shorts and underpants, and then made to wait, noses pressed to the wall, for the attention of the great man.
It seemed like hours for the boys, but was in fact only about 15 minutes before they heard the door behind them open, and sensed the presence of the headmaster. The man stood for a few moments admiring the sight of four little bare bottomed boys waiting for his attention, and then gruffly ordered them in. Although all of the boys had been in the office before, none had been punished by the headmaster. But they knew enough from conversations with other boys to immediately recognize that the office had been set out for hidings. In the middle of the room were at two straight backed chairs, placed back-to-back, and on sirs desk was the cane! The very nature of Weeping Willows School meant that these four pre-teens had seen canes before, but because they were only nine none of them had actually experienced the cane on his bottom yet - apart from mild hidings experienced by Marcus and William, of course. Nervous already, they could not help clenching their bare little bottom cheeks at the sight of the weapon of chastisement. The thin, flexible implement looks almost alive to the boys as it menacingly lay there.
"I seldom get to cane boys as young as you lot," the headmaster growled, "even less so on the bare bottom. But I will not tolerate smoking, and of course your feeble attempts to hide the truth! Hopefully, the lesson that you shall learn today will act as a serious behaviour modification for you, and your hidings will send a message to the rest of the school!"
The little boys studied the carpet, not knowing what to do, and not daring to say a word. Each battled to hold in the tears that were threatening to burst out. Their little bottoms felt terribly exposed and tender in the big office, and as they were lectured none of them could resist quick, fearful glances at the cane.
"Marcus," announced the headmaster, "you appear to be the ringleader here. I shall start off this morning's proceedings with your backside. I assume that boys have told you how to bend over in my office?"
"Yes sir," the nervous little boy answered.
"Very well then. Go to the chairs and bend over."
Slowly, knees trembling, Marcus approached the chairs. Going on the instructions that older boys had given him, he knelt on the seat of one of the chairs, widening his knees as far as he could, then bent over the back, putting his forehead on the seat of the other chair and gripping the railings as far down as he could reach. The headmaster was impressed. Marcus had taken no coaching to assume the correct punishment position, and as he rolled the little boys shirt up to his shoulders he had noted how the child's rounded little bottom was absolutely perfectly presented for the coming hiding. Marcus had had some sun over the holidays, and his narrow back still showed the effects – his browned young body only making his white bottom stand out even more sharply. Not completely white, of course. Faint bruising reminded the headmaster that this boy, and his companions, had already had their backsides well strapped by the housemaster. He gently tapped the cane on the boys little bottom, noting the tension in the child's body as he waited for his first ever bare bottomed lash from a cane. Naturally, the man had checked the punishment register, and had seen the entry in the book where Marcus had received two strokes from the deputy headmaster. But the entry had been justified with a note explaining that the cane had been used very moderately - more to give the boy a warning than to actually hurt him much. So this caning would be very different! As soon as he had got his distance and aim right, he lifted to the stick up and back, paused briefly, then lashed his small target, using the momentum of the stroke to full effect, letting the cane linger as it bit deep into the flesh of Marcuss lower bottom.
Marcus felt his bottom explode with pain as the headmaster caned him. This was far worse than even the hardest slippering, and his experience bending over for the deputy headmaster's cane had in no way prepared him for the absolute breathtaking agony that he discovered as the headmaster thrashed his bare bottom! He gripped the chair with all his might, determined to appear brave in front of his friends, and waited for the next excruciating stroke - bottom-up, head down and knees well apart. Marcus was an instinctive leader and knew that the way in which he took his punishment would set the example for his friends, and help them take their hidings. It seemed to take forever before the cane cracked across his small naked bottom again, the pain eclipsing everything else in the room. The headmaster had decided not to go easy on the boy just because of his age and the state of his bottom - he was determined to make an example of Marcus, and his friends. For the third time, he lifted the cane, and then stepped into a vigorous stroke, lashing the stick deep into the softest part of the boy's bottom. Marcus squealed and his body jumped with the agony, desperately trying to pull his exposed backside out of the way of the cane, as if he could draw himself right into the seat back. His small white bottom now looked decidedly well beaten. The headmaster paused, until the writhing boy was still,
"Get up, young man," Marcus, still trying to protect his dignity, slowly got off the chair and instinctively reached behind him to massage some of the sting out of his burning bottom. But the headmaster was having none of that,
"Put your hands on your head! You do not rub your bottom in this office without permission! And don't for a moment think that I am finished with you!"
Alarmed by the headmaster's tone, and desperate not to make the man even angrier, Marcus released his throbbing cheeks and placed his hands on his head, while listening to sir explain to the other boys that they must not touch their bottoms after hidings. It took a few seconds for the man's words to be absorbed by the nine-year-old, but then he realized that he would not be leaving the headmaster's office without bending back over those chairs again. His hiding was not yet over.
Timothy was next. Slowly the little boy had climbed on to the chairs, and bent over in the correct position, following the example of Marcus. His rounded little bottom also stood out, perfectly positioned for sirs cane. His small cheeks looked so exposed as sir tapped them with the wicked stick, individual marks from the strap still clearly visible. But this did not stop the headmaster from cracking his cane across Timothy's bottom with all of his skill. For the small pre-teen, the slicing agony of the cane was very similar to what he received at home from his daddy's switches. But the actual intensity was far worse as the flexible implement of school boy correction did its work on his naked hindquarters. The little boy cried out as the second stroke was delivered, like Marcus desperately holding on to the chair and pressing his face down so that he could take his complete hiding as bravely as possible in front of his friends. Then the third stroke smashed across his up raised bottom, and Timothy just sobbed as the incredible pain crossed his buttocks. But it was over and the little boy managed to hold on until sir allowed him up again. Remembering his instructions, Timothy kept his hands away from his aching bottom and placed them on his head, letting his blazing bum just throb.
William had decided that he did not want to be last. So without being told, the sturdy blond nine-year-old crossed to the chairs, climbed up and bent forward, presenting his pale bottom to the headmaster. The sight of Williams up raised bare bottom was not unfamiliar to the headmaster, as he had strapped this quiet but charming youngster before at the request of the boy's own parents. He had even caned William on one occasion, but over the child's underpants. The lad had a beautifully rounded, muscular bottom, perfect for beating. From his experience with boys' bottoms, the headmaster knew that in about a year's time, Williams bottom would be one of his favorites for really sound thrashings with his cane. He just hoped that this generally well behaved little boy would give him lots of cause to soundly whip him in the future. But he would make the best of this opportunity to introduce the pre-teen to a bare bottomed caning now anyway. Using just as much skill as he had with the previous two lads, he caned William, loving the sound of the stick biting into the small boys tender backside. William, as always, was stoic in his acceptance of his punishment. There was only a faint grunt of pain from the bending boy, but his almost naked body plunged with the agony of his first stripe. Sir caned him again, and got the same reaction from the little boy. William always took great pride in taking his hidings. Part of the reason was to show that he was brave, but it was also largely because he had only ever received hidings at school, even as a punishment for bad behaviour at home. So, unlike many other boys who were used to screaming and performing in order to receive mercy from their parents during domestic thrashings, William had always been whipped in the formal school setting. So he just kept his head down and did his best to take his beating. Again, the cane cracked across his bare bottom, and William took it bravely, although he could not resist a little squeal and a short wiggle of his bottom. He had th! ought that it was pretty sore being caned over underpants, but had under estimated the protection given by even such thin material, and found the direct contact with the cane on his bare bottom excruciating. But it was over, and soon the boy was standing next to Marcus and Timothy, hands on head, face wet with tears, and bottom throbbing.
On trembling knees, Ian approached the chairs. Slowly he climbed up onto them and bent over as his three buddies had done. It had been a bad twenty-four hours for the nine-year-old. A hard slippering, followed by a good bare bottom belting last night. And now his first ever caning - made worse by the fact that it was going to be administered by the hardest caner in the school, and on his bare backside! But he had watched his friends take what appeared to be excruciating thrashings on their bare bums bravely, and the small boy was determined to show that he could do the same. He had to be reminded to widen his knees and kept absolutely still as his shirt was raised up to his shoulders. The headmaster couldn't help noticing that Ian was the slimmest of the four, with the smallest bottom, but he had thrashed small bottoms before, and Ian's bottom had enough flesh and muscle on it to take a thorough caning. He tapped the stick lightly on the up raised little cheeks, then stepped into the first stroke, delivering it across his tender little target with his usual vigour.
Ian had been expecting the cane to hurt a lot, but the agony of the stick biting deep into the flesh of his exposed bottom was far worse than he had been prepared for. He released the rungs of the chair with the intention off instinctively placing his hands protectively over his bottom to protect it from further assault, but just as quickly grabbed onto the rungs again. Common sense and pride had overridden instinct, and he determined to take his punishment. The headmaster had seen the boy's reaction, and was disappointed that Ian had managed to restrain himself. The stroke that he had lashed across the child's bottom had been very satisfactory, making a delightful sound as it snapped into the little tail before him. He had hoped for an excuse to add an extra stroke onto Ian's punishment, but the boys self control had cheated him. He paused, then, seeing if he could break the boys will, he whipped Ian's bottom again, just above the child's legs, knowing that this was where it hurts the most. But Ian had come to terms with what was happening to him, and, apart from the same amount of squirming done by the others, he kept still with his rear end up and ready for his third lash. He was caned again, just as ferociously, but because it was the last stroke, the slim nine-year-old kept his position until reluctantly allowed to get up.
Now the headmaster had a group of sobbing little half naked nine year-olds standing before him, hands on head. He walked around them, gently squeezing each one's little bottom, feeling the three welts that he had painted across each small backside. Getting to Marcus, and keeping his hand gently squeezing the little boy's bum, he explained that Marcus was not quite finished with his punishment,
"I intend to give you a further dose of my cane, young man. Since you want to set an example by smoking to your friends, you can set an example by getting your bottom thrashed a bit too."
"Yes sir," agreed Marcus, "I got them all into trouble, so I deserve a bigger hiding."
The headmaster was somewhat surprised by the maturity of the nine year-olds thinking. This boy truly was a leader, prefect material in a few years' time. But for now he would have the pleasure of taking the cane to his pretty little bottom.
"Bend over."
Knowing that he deserved the caning that he was about to receive, Marcus crossed back to the chairs and bent over again, assuming the position and presenting his already well punished little bottom for further thrashing. The three stripes from the earlier whipping stood out clearly across his round did, pale little cheeks, and the marks from the strap faded into insignificance in comparison to the injuries inflicted by the headmaster's cane. His three friends could only admire the pre-teens bravery as he presented his bottom for the cane again. None of them thought that they could have been as brave as Marcus, and at that moment the boy confirmed himself as a legend among his peers.
Sir showed no mercy, thrashing Marcus as hard, if not harder, than he had previously. The cane cracked across the nine year olds bottom, millimeters above his legs, and despite his bravery Marcus howled with the pain, desperately wiggling his body to shake it off. But the headmaster was a patient man, and simply rested his big hand on the child's blazing cheeks, softly rubbing, until the pre-teen had gathered himself together and was able to raise his rear end for more punishment. The man took his time, stroking the little buttocks with the tip of the cane. Then, just as hard and mercilessly as last time caned Marcus. Again, man and boy repeated the procedure. Boy squirming, man gently rubbing his little bottom, one hand able to cover the surface area off both bum cheeks, until the nine year-old was able to keep still and raise his little tail for another stroke. For the 6th time that morning, Marcus was caned, but the bare bottomed little boy was able to take his punishment.
He was allowed up, and joined his friends, once again hands on head for the obligatory lecture. Then the four lads were sent back outside to retrieve their shorts and underpants, but instead of being allowed to put them on, they had to hand them over to matron. It was rare, even at Weeping Willows to be made to spend the day bare bottomed, but the headmaster had decided to make an example of them, especially to the younger boys who often believed that they were immune to real sound canings.
Soon it would be time to deal with Max and Adam. They were the real instigators in the smoking incident. And they themselves would be doing some smoking shortly, except it would be their bottoms that would be alight!