From: riharpist@aol.com (RIharpist)
Subject: New Story by Gigi: Francis 1874
Date: 17 Mar 1997 01:23:26 GMT

        Here is another ancestral story.  Francis was raised in
Connecticut in a very small village that still had a rural flavor to it,
even it its day.  If you object to the spanking of young children, please
do not read this story.  The account is fictional.  The character and his
personality is real.

                                Francis
                                by Gigi

        Francis was not a scholar.  He really hated school and went each
day under great duress and often threats from his parents.  His father was
a farmer who supplied the local village with much of the vegetable crop
needed for the local market.  Francis wanted to play, but being on the
farm was just fine with him as well.  School was extremely distasteful to
him, and he was generall unprepared with his lessons, getting him imto
great difficulty with his teachers.  At the time of this account, Francis
was nine.

        It was a lovely day to skip school, and Francis and his friend
Clarence decided to hike out to the marshes to collect frogs in their
jars.  His parents were amazed that he left without a great deal of
protest that morning, and they should have been suspicious, but the went
on with their own concerns for the day.  Francis and Clarence met at the
fork in the road and went quickly out of town into the countryside toward
the marshes.  They were quite excited about their plans for the day, and
had their school lunches with them as usual.  They were all set.  

        After some time collecting specimens, they felt very warm and
decided to take a swim in the nearby pond.  Leaving their clothing on the
banl with their lunches and frog jars, they dove into the cool, clear
water.

        What they did not know, as they splashed and played, was that the
town physician was coming up the dirt road that passed the pond.  He was
driving his buggy, coming from a home that lay quite far out of town.  The
boys were having so much fun that they paid no attention to the
approaching trouble.

        The good doctor stopped the carriage and knowing everyone in town,
called out to them:

        "Hey!  You there, Francis and Clarence!  What are you doing out of
school?"

        The boys froze, paddling with their arms and legs to stay afloat.

        "We are taking a break from collecting specimens for science
before we go back", called Francis, thinking quickly.  Clarence thought
that was a brilliant answer!  He grinned at Francis who was trying to look
very serious.

        "Come on then.  I'll take you there myself.  I have a call right
near there.  No sense having you any later than necessary.  I know that
your teacher will appreciate that."

        The boys were in shock. They looked at each other in horror, but
knew they were trapped.  They had to go.  They swam in, wiped the water
from themselves as best as they could, got dressed, and gathered the jars.
 With that, they climbed into the buggy.  Somewhere inside, they knew that
the docter knew full well what they had done.  He had been a boy once too,
but they continued to act grateful for the ride.  

        When they arrived at school, the doctor tied the horse to the rail
and went inside with the boys.  Although Clarence and Francis said he did
not need to do that, the doctor went anyway.  Now they KNEW he knew.  Into
the classroom they went, and the teacher stopped his teaching, looking up
in surprise.

        "Well, well, what do we have here?" he asked.

        Francis thought he would give it another try.  "We brought you
frog specimens for science and the doctor was kind enough to give us a
ride back."

        "Oh? and when were you asked to do that?" replied the teacher.

        Francis and Clarence looked down at the floor, fully aware that
they had been completely caught.  The doctor tipped his hat to the
teacher, smiled, and left the room.  The teacher called out a "thank you"
to him.  Then, he called Francis and Clarence to the front of the room.

        "Put the jars on the window sill and come to the desk.  You have
been truants.  You are all wet, so I imagine that you have also been
swimming.  Is that correct?"  The boys nodded, still looking down.  They
slowly obeyed, approaching the front of the class.  A stillness was over
the room.

        "Slide down your straps, unbutton your breeches, and bend over the
desk, both of you, NOW!"  Francis and Clarence hesitated, filled with
fear.  The teacher took a hold of each one by the ear and led them to the
desk.  "Get those breeches unfastened NOW, I said!!"

        Each boy followed the directions carefully, leaning over the desk,
side by side.  The teacher adjusted them, so that they were well up onto
the desk, their short legs dangling over the sides high off the floor. 
Then, with carefull tugs, he pulled the breeches down to the knees of each
boy.  Tears filled Francis' eyes, for he knew that everyone in the room
could see his bottom.  He was more upset about that right now than what he
knew was about to happen.

        Clarence began to cry as the teacher went to the corner and came
back with the caning stick.  Without any further hesitation, the stick
began to spank the naked buttocks of each boy, one after the other.  The
boys grabbed at the edges and front of the desk for support, and their
short legs were kicking hard out behind them.  No matter what they did,
the stick found its mark on one bottom or the other, until they were each
well spanked.

        "Your parents will be informed of this deed as well", said the
teacher, as he continued to spank the naughty bottoms.  "I am sure that
they will have something to say or do about this very bad behavior.  We do
not tolerate truancy here at school!"

        He then stopped and turned to the class.  "Do you see these red
bottoms?"  The other children nodded seriously.  "This is what waits for
anyone who does not come to school, unless to ill to atend.  Is that
clear?"  The class all responded with a "Yes, sir" in unison.

        Francis and Clarence were still in position, each crying softly
now.  The teacher turned back, gave them each another five cracks with the
stick, and then stood them up.  "Get dressed and go to the corner, both of
you!"  Both boys did so immediately.

        By chance, Francis' father came into the school to bring apples to
the children.  "I meant to sendf them with Francis this morning, but he
left in such a hurry that................"  His father saw Francis in the
corner.

        "I'm afraid that there has been a serious problem here", the
teacher replied, telling Francis' father the tale of woe.  The clouds
gathered on his father's face, and in a swift motion, he crossed the room
and dragged his young son out the door behind the school.  Francis was in
a panic.  "Father, I have been caned (sob) already.  I am really sorry. 
I'll never do this again (sob)."  It made no difference.  Off came the
farmer's belt, and Francis found himself over the woodpile with his
breeches down again.  The strap found its mark again and again, leaving a
very different pattern than the cane had.  The little buttocks leapt
around in agony, trying to avoid the punishment.  Then, finally, it was
over.  A nearly hysterical Francis found himself up on his feet again, all
buttoned up and up in his father's strong arms.

        "You cannot do these things, my young son.  School is important. 
Truth is important.  You were truant and then you lied about it.  The
caniong was for truancy, the belt was for the lying.  My son will be an
honest man when he grows up.  Do you understand that?"

        Francis nodded, and held onto his father tightly.  "I am sorry,
Father", he said with great difficulty through his tears.  His father just
held him for quite a while.  He told him that he would have to return to
class until school let out, even though that might be difficult in front
of all the children.  He said that he would go in with Francis and take
him to his seat before leaving.

        With Francis back in place, his father spoke with the teacher and
then left.  The teacher dismissed Clarence to his seat as well.  Neither
boy even looked at each other for the rest of the day, and each walked
home pretty slowly when dismissal came.  They never saw the frog jars
again.