Veronica Evans heard the front door slam, confirming her daughter, Elspeth, was home from school.
“I’m in the kitchen, darling,” She’d barely got the words out before rapid footsteps on the stairs told her Elspeth was going straight up to her room, an obvious sign something was wrong.
Veronica followed her daughter up the stairs and saw that Elspeth’s bedroom door was slightly ajar. Peering in, she noted Elspeth lying face-down on her bed.
“What’s the matter, darling?”
“Nothing!”
Veronica went into Elspeth’s room, took a small chair from its place in a corner of the room and sat down close to her daughter’s head. While Elspeth appeared red in the face, she wasn’t crying.
“What’s happened, darling? Tell me. I might be able to help. Have you broken up with David?”
“No.”
“What then, darling? Come on, let me help you.”
Elspeth finally rolled over so she was facing her mother.
David and I were caught smoking, if you must know. We went into the woods at the back of the playing fields during lunch break.”
“Smoking? That’s really naughty of you, darling. You know how your father and I are against it.”
“I know, but we were tempted to give it a try, that’s all. Unfortunately, two teachers had been assigned to catch pupils using the woods because they are strictly speaking out-of-bounds.”
“So, what did they do?”
“They took us to the headmaster.”
“Okay, so what did he do?”
“First, we had to stand in his study in front of his desk while he lectured us. He was quite angry that we’d broken the school rules. Then we were sent out to wait in the corridor while he considered what he was going to do with us.”
“I bet you were very nervous.”
“We were, although David reckoned he knew what was going to happen to him.”
“Which was?”
“That he would be caned. He wasn’t so sure what would happen to me.”
“How long did you have to wait outside the headmaster’s study?”
“Ten minutes or so. Then he called David in, but left me waiting outside. I could hear there was some talking but couldn’t hear what was being said. It went quiet for a couple of minutes, and then I heard David being caned. It was awful, mum. He got six strokes.
“A few minutes later, David came back out and he was close to tears. He was carrying his blazer, so I couldn’t see his hands, although later he told me, reluctantly, that he’d been caned across his bottom.
“Then Mr Hargreaves, our headmaster, called me in. I was really nervous, mum.”
“I bet you were.”
“Anyway, Mr Hargreaves gave me two one-hour detentions, one on Thursday this week and the other on Tuesday next week.”
“You were lucky, darling. That doesn’t sound too bad.”
“But it’s not fair, mum!”
“What’s not fair?”
“That David got the cane and I got detention.”
“You feel you should both have got detentions?”
“Yes, or both should have been caned.”
“I don’t think you’d have liked that, darling.”
“Possibly not, but at least it would have been fair. They shouldn’t treat girls and boys differently.”
“Maybe. Anyway, you’ll be late home from school on Thursday, and the following Tuesday.”
“No, I won’t! I’m not doing it.”
“What? You must serve your detentions, darling.”
“I won’t!”
“What would happen if you didn’t turn up for detention?”
“Two detentions in place of the one that was missed, but since I already had two I suppose that means I’ll get three, and so on.”
“I’m sure they won’t simply keep adding detentions, darling. They might suspend you, and then you’ll miss classes and everything.”
“Whatever.”
“Let’s wait until your father gets home and see what he says, shall we? Anyway, you’d better get on with your homework. Dinner at seven tonight.”
That evening, Elspeth sat around the dinner table with her parents and her older brother, now twenty-one and home from university.
“What’s this I hear about you wanting the cane instead of a couple of detentions, Elspeth?” her father, Robert, asked.
Elspeth’s brother, Peter, immediately pricked up his ears. “Really? What have you been up to, sis?”
“Smoking!” her mother responded abruptly. “Along with that boyfriend of hers. I rather think I should give her a good spanking whatever the school does.”
Elspeth blushed. “I’m seventeen, mum. A bit too old to go over your knee.”
“You most certainly are not, young lady!”
“Seriously, though, Elspeth,” her father cut in. “You were a bit lucky not to get something more than a couple of detentions. A couple of strokes across the palm of your hand, for instance. Or maybe the slipper.”
“None of that would be fair, daddy. David got six strokes across his bottom. I committed exactly the same offence so I should receive exactly the same punishment.”
“Steady on, sis,” her brother said. “The cane really hurts, you know. You wouldn’t want that, believe me!”
“Yes, you got the cane when you were at the school, didn’t you, David,” their mother recalled.
“I did. Six good stingers. Mind you, sis, I’d love to watch you get it.”
Elspeth aimed a slap at her brother, who quickly leaned away and avoided it.
“Seriously, though,” their father intervened. “Elspeth, you really shouldn’t be committing another offence, like missing your detentions, just because you don’t like the punishment they’ve awarded you. Can you not have a word with your form teacher tomorrow? Maybe they could compromise and give you six with the slipper.”
“I don’t want the slipper, daddy. I want the cane. Girls are equal now, so we should be treated the same as boys.”
“And you do have the ideal bottom for it,” her brother added.
Elspeth stuck her tongue out at him.
“Nonetheless,” her father continued. “The proper way of dealing with it is not to simply not turn up for your detentions. Have a word with your form teacher, that’s my advice.”
Elspeth thought for a few moments. “Yes, perhaps you’re right, daddy. I’ll do that.”
The following morning, after registration, Elspeth stayed behind in her form room and went up to her form teacher’s desk.
“Could I have a word please, miss?”
“Certainly, Elspeth,” Miss Carpenter smiled. “How can I help?”
“Well, yesterday David Morgan, he’s in the upper sixth, and I were caught smoking and taken to see the headmaster.”
“Yes, so I heard, Elspeth.”
“Well, David got six strokes of the cane straight away, but when I went in I only got two one-hour detentions. That’s not fair, miss. I should have been caned too.”
Miss Carpenter, in her early thirties with long mid-brown hair woven into a single plait, seemed uncertain.
“I know girls occasionally are caned, usually a couple of strokes on the palm of their non-writing hand. Are you saying you would have preferred that to your two detentions?”
“No, I’m saying I should have received six strokes like David got.”
“What? Are you serious? The school doesn’t cane girls like that.”
“Then it should. Do they really think we’d faint on the spot at the very suggestion we bend over to have our bottoms smacked?”
“Elspeth, I’m all for this modern equality business, but I think we should draw the line at having girls punished the same way as the boys.”
“Why, miss?”
“Um, I don’t really know. For a start, the headmaster is a man and it would probably be considered inappropriate for a man to smack girls’ bottoms.”
“So, get a female teacher to do it. You could do it, miss.”
“Hold on, Elspeth. Only the headmaster canes in this school, except when a girl has to be caned, and even then it’s applied to the palm of her hand, as I said.”
“But, if a female teacher can cane a girl on her hand, why can’t that teacher cane a girl on her bottom?”
Miss Carpenter raised her eyebrows. “Look, Elspeth, we need to get along to assembly. Leave this with me and I’ll have a few words, see if something can’t be sorted out. Okay?”
“I suppose, miss.”
“Come and see me after school and I’ll let you know how I’ve got on.”
The school day ground on for Elspeth. Half her mind was focused on what Miss Carpenter might be able to arrange, rather than her lessons. She received several reprimands for her inattention, but nothing more. Even her friends noted something was amiss, and she received some teasing over her detentions, but Elspeth simply shrugged and told them nothing was wrong.
Finally, the school day ended and, after registration was conducted and the other girls headed off for home, Elspeth approached Miss Carpenter’s desk.
“Ah, Elspeth. Sit down and let’s have a little chat.”
Elspeth sat on a desk in the front row, directly in front of Miss Carpenter’s desk.
“Now, I’ve spoken with the headmaster and told him how you are concerned about the apparent inequality with your punishment, compared to how he dealt with your friend David. Firstly, can I get this straight? Are you actually asking to be given six strokes of the cane, like David?”
A sudden realisation of the possible consequences her response might bring about caused Elspeth to hesitate. But then she replied, “Yes, miss, I suppose I am.”
“The school usually canes girls on their hands, Elspeth. Six strokes on the palm of your hand would simply be too painful to contemplate.”
“Yes, miss.”
“You do know what you are asking?”
Elspeth again hesitated. Her mother had spanked her bottom several times over the years. Her father had done it a couple of times too. But those spankings were administered with their hands, not a length of cane. That must surely be much more painful.
“Yes, miss,” Elspeth whispered.
“I’d urge you to reconsider, Elspeth.”
“No, miss.”
“Okay. So, what the headmaster requires is that one of your parents write him a short letter confirming they are aware of your offence and asking that you be punished with six strokes of the cane in place of your two detentions. And do not even think about trying to fake that letter, Elspeth. A telephone call to your mother will be made upon receipt of the letter. Understand?”
“Yes, miss. Thank you, miss.”
“Okay. Good night, Elspeth.”
When Elspeth awoke the following morning, she realised immediately this would be a big day for her. Her parents had discussed with her the headmaster’s requirement of the letter confirming they consented to their daughter receiving six strokes of the cane in place of the two detentions previously awarded. They had been extremely dubious, but Elspeth’s insistence had won them over in the end. The required letter now awaited her on the sideboard in the dining room.
As Elspeth sat on the edge of her bed in her uniform white knickers, white bra and knee-length white socks, her grey school skirt white blouse and red blazer beside her, she questioned whether she was doing the right thing. At some time that day, she would have to bend over and allow six strokes of the cane to be administered to her backside, and that was clearly going to be quite painful. She had seen David emerge from the headmaster’s study on the point of tears. Did she really want the same?
Her difficulty now was that things had gone too far. She had fought for the privilege of being treated the same as the boys and finally been granted her wish. How could she back out now? She finished dressing and went down for breakfast.
“How are you feeling, darling?” her mother asked.
“Fine.”
“I’m sure she’s nervous about it,” her father added. “Aren’t you, old girl?”
Elspeth ignored them and set about the half grapefruit in front of her.
“More strength to the headmaster’s arm, I say,” her brother said with a huge smirk on his face.
“For your information, I’ll be getting the cane from a female teacher, Peter. Not that I see what difference it makes.”
Breakfast continued, her parents clearly concerned and her brother enjoying every moment. And then it was time to leave for school. Elspeth accepted her father’s offer of a lift in the car.
“Don’t worry, old girl,” her father said when he dropped her off outside the school. “It’ll be over quite quickly, and then it’s all done and dusted.”
Elspeth smiled at him. “Thanks, daddy. And thanks for letting me do this.”
When Elspeth reached her form room, everyone stopped talking and stared at her. They clearly knew something was afoot, maybe they even knew exactly what was happening. Even her best friends treated her with a certain amount of misgiving. When their form teacher, Miss Carpenter, arrived, they all went to their desks and stood silently.
“Good morning all, please sit down.” Miss Carpenter looked at Elspeth. “Elspeth, do you have something for me?”
Elspeth took the letter to the form teacher and handed it over.
“Thank you, Elspeth. I’ll see the headmaster gets it.”
“Do you know what the, um, arrangements are, miss?”
“I don’t. I think the headmaster was going to wait until he knew your parents agreed.”
“Yes, miss.”
“Look, I know this is easy to say, but don’t worry, you’ll hear soon enough.”
“Yes, miss.”
Elspeth continued with her school day as best she could, but all the time she was on tenterhooks waiting for the call to receive the punishment she’d worked hard to achieve. Her nervousness was not helped by her fellow students seemingly watching her every step.
At two-fifteen, as her Physics class had just started, the lesson was halted by an unexpected tap on the door. The school secretary, Mrs Montague, entered and spoke quietly with the teacher, who then called out, “Elspeth Evans, collect your books together and go with Mrs Montague, please.”
With everyone watching her intently, Elspeth anxiously packed her books into her bag and went towards the door. Outside in the corridor, she asked, “Where are we going?”
“To see the headmaster first, Elspeth. He’ll explain what’s going to happen.”
Mrs Montague said very little as they went along, then knocked and entered with Elspeth when they reached the headmaster’s study.
“Ah, Elspeth,” Mr Hargreaves greeted her as she stood in front of his desk. “Well, it seems your parents are happy for you to have the punishment of your choice. Are you still of the same mind? This is your last chance to back out and take the two detentions I originally offered you.”
Elspeth thought quickly. The offer was tempting, but then all the effort she’d made to establish fairness between the sexes would go to waste, and she’d look a complete fool.
“I will take the caning, sir.”
“Okay. Your form teacher, Miss Carpenter, has agreed to carry out your punishment. She doesn’t have a lesson at present, and your form room is currently free. I will give you my cane and Mrs Montague will escort you to your form room where you will receive six strokes. Do you have any questions?”
Elspeth felt her heart pounding. No questions came to mind, so the headmaster went to a cupboard and took out the school cane, some two-and-a-half feet long, thin pale yellow rattan with a traditional-looking crook handle. She took the cane from Mr Hargreaves and followed Mrs Montague out into the corridor.
As they passed by a number of classrooms, pupils looked out of the windows and saw Elspeth carrying the cane. She tried to think of a way to conceal it, but even when she tucked it under her blazer, the end protruded out. Then they reached her form room, with Miss Carpenter sitting at her desk and the classroom otherwise empty.
“Oh, Elspeth. Come and take a seat for a moment.”
Elspeth sat at a desk at the front, placing the cane in front of her on the desktop.
“Do you need me to stay, Miss Carpenter?” Mrs Montague asked. “Elspeth?”
“No, I think we can manage, Mrs Montague,” Miss Carpenter answered. “Unless you’d like her to stay, Elspeth?”
“Um, no.”
Mrs Montague left the room, her face suggesting some disappointment.
“So, here we are, Elspeth. I’ve chosen this time because lessons will be underway throughout the school, so there should be no passers-by.”
“Thank you, miss.”
“Is it your intention that we do things exactly as would have happened with David?”
“Um, yes of course, miss.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, miss.” Elspeth couldn’t understand why Miss Carpenter was being rather pedantic.
“Very well, then I shall need you to remove your blazer and your skirt, please Elspeth.”
Elspeth appeared stunned. “What here? Why?”
“Elspeth, at this school boys receive the cane across the seat of their underpants. You asked to be treated the same as David, so I am going to have to cane you across your knickers.”
Elspeth thought quickly. David hadn’t told her.
“Look, Elspeth,” Miss Carpenter continued. “If you would prefer me to do it across the seat of your skirt, I’m sure that would be perfectly fine.”
“N-no, miss. It’s okay.”
Elspeth stood up and took off her blazer. She folded it and placed it on a neighbouring desk. After undoing the button securing the waistband of her skirt, she slipped the side zip down and pushed the skirt down her legs until she could step out of it. With a glance at the window between the classroom and the corridor, she folded the skirt neatly and put it on top of her blazer.
It felt quite awkward standing in her white blouse and knickers in the classroom, and she kept anxiously looking through the window to the corridor, hoping upon hope no one would pass by.
“I’m sure no one will see, Elspeth,” Miss Carpenter reassured her. “Now, could you hand me the cane, and then bend over the desk you’ve been sitting at?”
Elspeth handed over the cane and started to bend over the side of the desk.
“No. Could you come round and bend over it from the front, please? It’ll give me a little more room to swing the cane.”
A single tear started to roll down the side of Elspeth’s face. Her battle to seek similar punishment to David was nearing an end, the consequences now had to be faced, and suddenly she was having second thoughts. It was clearly too late, though. She just had to go through with it.
She moved round to the front of the desk and began bending over.
“Get right down onto the desk, please Elspeth.”
Elspeth shuffled around until her upper body was flat on the desk, realising immediately that her bottom was now a perfectly presented target for the cane to be administered.
“That’s fine, Elspeth,” Miss Carpenter confirmed. “Now, keep nice and still and we can get this over with.”
Elspeth braced herself, not really knowing what to expect, but certain it would be highly painful. Within a few seconds, the cane smacked sharply across the centre of her bottom, protected only by thin white cotton knickers. The pain was so sharp, so biting, several more tears slipped down the side of her face.
A second stroke came just a few seconds later, and she jerked dramatically with a strange-sounding grunt.
“It will hurt, Elspeth,” Miss Carpenter said.
“You’re not kidding, miss.”
The brief exchange of words brought only a momentary pause before the third stroke whipped across Elspeth’s bottom. She jerked again and screwed her face up at the pain. She was tempted to ask for a pause, but realised it might be better to let her form teacher continue and get it over with.
The fourth stroke still hurt excruciatingly, although Elspeth by now knew what to expect.
The fifth was just as painful, but she’d been counting and she knew there was only one more.
“Aah!” The final stroke thwacked across Elspeth’s already very sore bottom and she couldn’t resist crying out.
But her punishment was now over, although she remained in position. She didn’t dare move without permission.
“That’s it, Elspeth,” Miss Carpenter announced. “You can get up now and get dressed.”
“Thank you, miss.” Elspeth gingerly eased herself up and carefully explored the damage caused to her bottom with fingers pushing under her white knickers.
“Now you know what David went through, Elspeth. Do you regret being so insistent now?”
“No, miss. I mean that really hurt, but I understand why David was almost in tears.”
“Here’s a tissue for your eyes.”
“Thanks, miss.” Elspeth wiped away the moist tears from her face. “That was certainly the hardest hiding I’ve ever had.”
“I suppose it’s meant to be, Elspeth. The idea being that you don’t repeat the behaviour that earned you the punishment in the first place.”
“I think my smoking days are over, miss, so I suppose it’s effective.”
“Good to hear. I’m wondering how the other girls are going to feel about it though. They might not be so happy being treated the same as the boys.”
“Will that happen, miss?”
“The headmaster is certainly considering it.”
The End
© Kenny Walters 2026