“Ladies this week we have been reading ‘A Guide to the Correction of Young Gentlemen’ by ‘A Lady’, a book first published in 1924,” Betty Crabbe, chairwomen of the Bunbury Ladies Reading Circle, said in her usual forthright, no nonsense manner, “First impressions? 1924… a long time ago. Is the book still relevant? Margret, you’ve a couple of young boys… still a useful book d’you think?”
Margret Williams sat on the sofa with the book held in her lap. All eyes were on her. “Well, of course the writing about nurses and governesses is a little dated… few of us could afford their services these days... but I have to say that my boys would find some of the contents of the book, particularly about discipline, to be still quite relevant… painfully relevant I might add.”
“Does that mean you spank your boys?” Maureen Carter, herself childless and unmarried.
“Why of course… why wouldn’t I? If they’ve been naughty they know what to expect,” Margret Williams replied.
“How old is Hugh now, Margret?” Betty Crabbe asked, “He must be getting a bit old to take over your knee.”
“He was eighteen on his last birthday, but that doesn’t mean he’s exempt from a spanking… far from it. Hugh seems to give me more reason to spank him than he ever did when he was Harry’s age…”
“... and how old is Harry?” Betty asked.
“Thirteen…”
“... and does Harry get his fair share of spankings?”
“I can assure you that hardly a week goes by that Harry gets his bare bottom warmed by a spanking…”
“Then you would agree that our current book, ‘A Guide to the Correction of Young Gentlemen’, should still have a place on the family bookshelf?”
“Oh, absolutely, Betty,” Margret agreed.
“Yes, Cynthia?”
“I don’t have any boys as you know, but I have to say that I found the book most interesting and I would say still relevant in families like Margret’s,” Cynthia James said.
“Interesting? In what way?” Betty asked.
“Perhaps I should’ve said most interesting for the effect it had on my girls. You see, when they saw what I was reading they both insisted on sitting down with me and we read the book together. They were fascinated to read about the boys being undressed and made ready for their punishment. Abigail and Heather couldn’t believe that there are boys today who are spanked completely bare…”
“Yes, I too found it difficult to think it might happen in this day and age,” Maureen Carter said as she agreed with Cynthia James.
“I can assure you that it does happen… in our house at least,” Margret said emphatically.
“If we could just leave that aspect for the moment,” Betty said taking charge of the discussion once more, “I’d like us to turn to Chapter 2 of the Guide. It’s entitled ‘The Eternal Boy’ and I think it may ring some bells with us all…”
“The chapter starts: ‘The condition of boyhood persists in males far longer than many women imagine - in some cases, it is a permanent part of their characters…” Yes, Amanda?”
“I think we can take it as a given that boys, some boys, never mature… or at least never seem to want to leave boyhood behind,” observed Amanda Waters, “My Simon is nearly twenty, but a lot of the time he behaves as if he’s still in junior school…”
“How do you deal with that behaviour, Amanda?” Betty asked.
“I treat him just as I would if he really was still in junior school,” Amanda said without hesitation.
“Meaning?”
“I don’t want to bore you with the details because… well, this came as a surprise to me when I turned to Chapter Four of this book… to see that others had been there before me.”
Betty turned over the pages in her copy: “ Ah yes… ‘Clothing and the Régime’ . You mean you enforce discipline by means of particular clothing, Amanda?”
“I find it very effective,” Amanda replied, warming to her subject, “For instance the book tells us how... and I quote, ‘a young gentleman who has been wearing long trousers for several years will be especially mortified to learn that he is to revert to short ones’. I can certainly attest to the efficacy of that particular strategy…”
“Do go on,” Betty urged.
“Simon has always hated wearing short trousers… ever since he was quite young and at an age at which you would expect to see him in short trousers. Then there was a time when a lot of mothers began putting their boys into long trousers and Simon began to complain that his friends were all wearing longs to school,” Amanda explained, “To be frank I blame the schools for allowing this lapse in school uniform standards to take place... Well, shortly after Simon’s fifteenth birthday I relented and bought him his first pair of long trousers. I wished I hadn’t as Simon’s behaviour coupled with the onset of puberty… Simon was a rather late bloomer, turned him into a most difficult boy. The only effective recourse was my threatening to put him back into short trousers if he didn’t buck his ideas up. This worked for a time, but as I’m sure you all know there quickly comes a time when a threat must be carried out…”
“Well, when Simon came home from school one Friday afternoon I sent him up to his bedroom where he found that I’d laid out a pair of his short trousers he’d worn for school in the second form. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you of the tantrum I had to deal with before Simon put on the little short trousers. During the week I’d arranged for the hems to be taken up by a seamstress friend of mine. Simon’s short trousers always looked very smart and now, I can assure you, they were very short indeed. Simon was told that he would be wearing his short trousers for the weekend and could have his long trousers back for school on Monday morning provided he was well behaved over the weekend.”
“As I’m sure you can imagine, ladies, that did the trick… but of course boys being boys it wasn’t long before Simon found himself put back into short trousers again,” Amanda concluded.
“Thank you Amanda. It seems this book is more relevant than I thought,” Betty observed. “Would anyone like to ask Amanda a question with relation to the chapter?”
“Yes, this was something that Abigail, my eldest girl, picked up on when we read the book together,” Cynthia said, “She found it hard to accept that any boy would be so upset about having to wear short trousers. ‘Girls wear skirts. What’s so strange about boys being made to wear short trousers?’ she said. Abigail simply refused to believe that a boy would be ‘mortified’, to quote from the book. Is this really the case, Amanda? Does it affect Simon so deeply when you put him into short trousers?”
“There is simply nothing Simon fears more than finding those specially altered short trousers laid out on his bed…” Amanda replied. “That’s often quite enough to make him burst into tears and cry like a baby before he’s even put them on and pulled them up.”
“If I could just butt in here,” Margret interrupted, “I just wanted to make it clear for those who aren’t familiar with the subject of short trousers that Amanda is talking about proper tailored short trousers such as those worn to school, or worn as part of a short trouser suit, for instance. I think Amanda will agree with me that we are not talking here about baggy beach shorts and such like… dread word ‘leisurewear’.”
“Most certainly… thank you, Margret for making that clear,” Amanda replied, “It is an important distinction and one that I know Simon is fully aware of…”
“It sounds as though you also have experience of using short trousers as a means of discipline, Margret,” Betty observed.
“Most certainly,” Margret concurred, “For one thing putting a boy back into short trousers doesn’t require the same expenditure of energy as giving him a good bare bottom spanking!”
The ladies roared with laughter at Margret’s observation. This was turning out to be a most interesting meeting of their book club.
“Of course Harry is still in short trousers, so the expenditure of energy is often needed, but Hugh, on the other hand, can be brought back into line quite easily. Just as Amanda described a moment ago, Hugh is put back into short trousers… an old prep-school pair of his along with the rest of his old school uniform. Hugh finds this immensely humiliating as off course the colours of his tie, the tops of his socks and blazer, all proclaim him to be younger than his brother…”
“How does Harry respond to this?” Maureen asked. She too was finding the subject of their discussion most interesting.
“Harry thinks it great fun,” Margret replied, “He knows that as long as he behaves himself, he can act as the big older brother… In a way it’s a complete rôle reversal for the boys and very humbling for Hugh who might also find himself in trouble for not doing what Harry tells him.”
“Well, that does sound a very effective use of short trousers…” Betty said.
“Could I just add,” Margret interrupted, “Harry is occasionally allowed to bring some of his friends around when when this rôle reversal is taking place and they all have a great time teasing and making fun of an older boy put back into short trousers… as I said, it’s a very humbling experience for Hugh.”
“Is there anything you’d like to add, Amanda?” Betty asked.
“Just one thing… when I was explaining Simon’s reaction to seeing his short trousers laid out on his bed and how he’d often burst into tears…” Amanda said, “I forgot to add how he’d plead with me and beg me not to make him wear short trousers again. There’s something almost endearing about seeing a boy of Simon’s age with tears running down his face, ‘Please, mummy… I won’t do it again…’ he’ll say with his face all screwed up…”
“What won’t he do again, if I might ask?” Betty enquired.
“Well, it’s a rather personal problem that Simon has…” Amanda replied somewhat coyly.
“Ahh… perhaps it is what 'A Lady' refers to in Chapter 4, on page 31 I believe?” Betty suggested.
There could be heard the rustling of pages being turned. Then silence as the ladies read the relevant words.
All eyes turned to Amanda.
“Is it self-abuse, Amanda?” Betty asked, “Is that why you put him back into short trousers?”
Amanda nodded: “Yes, I was at my wits end. Why boys persist in playing with themselves after you’ve told them not to… it’s quite beyond me. Simon simply hates being put back into short trousers… as I said, he’s in tears and genuinely ashamed of himself when he’s found out, but that doesn’t stop him…”
Maureen gave a slight cough and asked: “Has anyone else seen Simon dressed in short trousers on these occasions?”
“I think Simon would be absolutely horrified to be seen wearing short trousers,” Amanda replied, “As it is Simon will rush off upstairs to his bedroom at the slightest sign of a visitor…”
“I think what Maureen is going to suggest…” Betty said and nodded towards Maureen, “Am I right?”
“I thought it might help if Simon was to be presented wearing his short trousers to some of your friends,” Maureen proposed, “It might be that the shock of appearing dressed as a younger, junior boy, with his legs bare and exposed in his little short trousers might be just what he needs to make him stop and think before he carries on with his pernicious habit…”
“Perhaps a bare bottom spanking in front of the assembled guests,” Cynthia suggested.
“Plenty for Amanda to think about then,” Betty concluded, “Actually Cynthia’s suggestion leads us on rather neatly to Chapter 6 in which the authoress deals with corporal punishment and the preparation necessary beforehand… Yes, Margret.”
“I’d just like to highlight a couple of sentences if I may, ‘Boys are all different, but all share a common fear of being stripped for chastisement - especially by a woman.’ Then a ‘Lady’ goes on to say, ‘To experience déculottage is a severe humiliation.’ I for one can certainly vouch for the truth of those statements.”
“I take it you are speaking from your experiences with Harry and Hugh?” Betty asked.
“Very much so… I can assure you that facing a wall in our front room for a period of quiet contemplation of his misdeeds, with trousers and underpants down... or completely removed, before a spanking has an effect quite out of proportion to what one might expect,” Margret concurred.
“Yes, it seems as if the many, how shall I put it?... refinements… make all the difference,” Betty observed. Then she asked Margret, “Do you have the same problems of self-abuse with your boys?”
Margret’s eyes rolled upwards: “Is the Pope a Catholic?” she asked in jest which brought forth laughter and giggles from the ladies assembled.
“I should say so,” Margret added, “I’m always finding evidence of their little escapades…”
“You mean…?”
“Yes…”
“And Harry too…?”
“Oh, yes… Harry has started to leave small samples of his DNA for me to find in his bedroom,” Margret said to more chuckles from the ladies who were amused at Margret’s description of her son’s sperm.
“I wonder if I may make a suggestion?” Maureen Carter asked.
“By all means,” Betty said, in her rôle chairing the meeting, “We’re all here to listen to one another’s thoughts and ideas.”
“Well, it occurred to me from what’s been said that there is a case to be made… from an educational point of view, you understand,” Maureen began to have doubts about her idea. Now that she was talking out loud and about to put her thoughts into words, she wondered whether it was such a good idea after all. She hesitated.
“What is it Maureen? Spit it out. Don’t keep us all in suspense,” Betty said.
Maureen gave a little cough and continued: “I was thinking about what Cynthia said about her daughters not believing that a boy, particularly older boys such as Margret’s Hugh or Amanda’s Simon, could be so embarrassed about being put into short trousers…”
“... well, it occurred to me that we might give Abigail, Cynthia’s eldest I believe, the opportunity by inviting the boys and Abigail along to a special book club meeting… um, the boys would be dressed in their short trousers of course.”
There was silence in the room as the ladies looked at one another as they tried to gauge each other’s response. The pause, however, was more to do with the fact that it was Maureen Carter who should have put forward such an idea.
“Oh… I’m sorry… it was rather presumptuous of me I know,” Maureen apologised.
“Oh, good heavens… there’s no need to apologise, Maureen… none at all,” Betty assured her, “I think it’s a marvelous idea…”
It was quickly apparent that other members of the book club agreed with Betty’s sentiments and Maureen blushed as her fellow club members praised her idea.
“How do you think Simon will react to Maureen’s proposal?” A smiling Betty asked Amanda.
“He’ll be appalled!” Amanda replied.
“Hugh will too… he hates anyone to know that he has to wear short trousers if he’s been a naughty boy,” Margret said with a laugh, “Do think I should bring Harry along too?”
“If Harry were to be in longs, that might emphasise the point,” Maureen chipped in as she gained confidence.
“I agree,” Amanda said, “There’s nothing a boy like Simon hates so much as seeing a much younger boy wearing long trousers. As I said before, I kept Simon in short trousers until just after his fifteenth birthday He still resents seeing long trousers worn by young boys...”
“Even though he’s wearing longs himself?” Cynthia asked.
“Gosh… yes, I should say so,” Amanda replied, “Simon gets right up on his high horse when he sees junior boys wearing long trousers… says it shouldn’t be allowed. Actually, it’s quite funny to hear him… especially when I’ve had reason to lay out a pair of his short trousers on his bed to change into when he gets home…”
“That must be quite satisfying, listening to Simon spouting off about how young boys shouldn’t be allowed to wear long trousers, but not knowing that when he gets home he’ll have to hand over his longs and put on a pair of short trousers,” Margret commented. “There’s a sort of poetic justice to that.”
“‘Hand over’ you say?” Betty queried.
“Oh yes, when Hugh has to forfeit his longs, he must hand them to me to be put away somewhere safe,” Margret answered, “It helps to reinforce the act of demotion, so Hugh knows that he won’t get his long trousers back until I’m completely satisfied with his behaviour… Oh, by the way, I should just remind Maureen that Harry’s still in short trousers… he’s only thirteen years old after all, so he hasn’t actually got any long trousers at all.”
“Oh, that’s a shame… not that Harry is still wearing short trousers, but that there can’t be a younger boy wearing longs when Hugh and Simon are here in their short trousers,” Maureen commented, “Never mind, it can’t be helped.”
“Ladies, we are rather drifting away from the discussion of our book choice,” Betty reminded them, “Not that this hasn’t been a most fascinating topic we’ve been discussing. Indeed I do hope we can bring to fruition the idea of... what shall we call it? A demonstration? Perhaps one of our afternoon meetings can be given over to an assessment of the value of putting older boys back into short trousers… with suitable models brought along by Margret and Amanda. Would that be useful?” Betty then put the idea to a vote. Unsurprisingly there was unanimous support for Betty’s proposal.
The rest of the meeting proceeded with the ladies discussing the various merits of non-corporal and corporal punishment. These discussions, it must be said, were principally led by Margret and Amamda, as they related their own experiences with bringing up boys. Other members of the group were happy to listen and ask questions to which both Margret and Amanda answered with complete honesty and openness.
Margret described how she would not hesitate to scold either Harry or Hugh as they stood in front of her with trousers and underpants lowered and shirt pinned up. Even Hugh, at eighteen, could be reduced to tears as he waited to go over his mother’s knee for a bare bottom spanking.
“The effect is even more pronounced if there are others present,” Margret added, “Hugh has a habit of showing off in front of his cousins when they visit. It always gets him into trouble and he ends up having a spanking in front of them and his aunt…”
“That must be deeply shaming for him,” Betty commented.
“I wonder if Margret would be kind enough to give us a demonstration… a demonstration with Hugh,” Maureen asked, “I can’t quite visualise how Hugh responds, but if I could see what happens, I’d have a much better idea…”
One or two of the ladies chuckled at Maureen’s suggestion. Of course a practical demonstration of the positive effects of putting older boys back into smart, tailored short trousers had already been agreed upon, but the tantalising thought of being shown what would happen if Hugh or Simon were to have transgressed in some way and needed to be disciplined, something that would usually be dealt with at home, to have that performed in front of the assembled ladies of the book club… wouldn’t that be something to brighten up the long winter evenings?
The book club was due to meet a fortnight later. Both Margret and Amanda agreed that in the space of two weeks Hugh and Simon were certain to have got themselves into some sort of bother which would need the attention of their respective mothers. They decided to keep one another informed of the behaviour of their boys.
******
It didn’t take long for Amanda’s son Simon to get himself into trouble. Simon was surprised and not a little unnerved when his mother told him that his behaviour would be dealt with the following Thursday, it being the next meeting of the book club, although Simon was unaware of this ‘coincidence’. This put Simon on edge as it meant waiting five whole days before he would learn the terms of his retribution and Simon hated waiting. By the second day Simon was reduced to pleading with his mother to punish him for his transgression, but he was simply told that he’d have to wait. On the third day Simon went to his wardrobe and took out the short trousers and the rest of the school uniform he wore when being punished. Simon stripped and put on the white junior schoolboy underpants and vest. As always happened when he started to dress in this uniform he began to feel anxious. It wasn’t so much the physical aspect of his punishment, that he could withstand even if it did reduce him to tears, no, it was the fear of being seen dressed like a junior schoolboy in the horribly short school uniform trousers. Like most boys of his age he felt humiliated to be dressed as a junior boy, as if puberty hadn’t taken place. God knows it had taken Simon a good while longer than most of the other boys at school to clear that particular hurdle. Putting him back into short trousers added insult to injury and he was terrified of his friends finding out about the way he was punished.
As it was it was probably Simon’s late puberty that accounted for much of his behavioural problems. His mother, Amanda, having discussed with other mothers how Simon had remained ‘my little boy’ or ‘a late bloomer’ (both euphemisms used by these ladies to describe a boy’s delayed puberty), she concluded that Simon’s tendency to show off in front of his friends could be put down to him trying to convince them that he was just as strong and mature as they were, something they all knew to be quite laughable.
Simon picked up the specially altered ultra short short trousers and, feeling his stomach knotting up, stepped into them. Simon’s legs were still perfectly smooth and unblemished which caused him even more embarrassment. His short trousers displayed his flawless legs so completely that he was brought to the brink of fainting as he caught sight of himself in his bedroom mirror. Simon bent down to slip on his ankle socks and as he did so he felt the all too familiar sensation of his little grey shorts riding up over the lower curves of his bottom. He reached for his T-bar school sandals and put them on to complete his uniform. He stood up straight and immediately reached back to tug at the hem at the back of his short trousers, an instinctive response to try and cover the bare flesh exposed as he bent over.
For a moment Simon wondered if he was doing the right thing. His idea was to present himself fully dressed in his junior schoolboy uniform, ready for whatever punishment his mother chose to give him in the hope that he could get it out of the way and not have to wait until Thursday. Sadly Simon was to be disappointed.
“Well I must say I am surprised, Simon,” Amanda said when her son entered the room. “I always say how smart you look wearing short trousers…”
“Please, mum… Can’t we get it over with… my punishment, that is,” Simon pleaded.
“Is that why you put on your uniform, Simon?”
“Yes, mum…”
“I’m afraid it’s not going to make any difference, Simon. I said that I’d deal with you on Thursday and Thursday it will be…”
“Oh, mummy… pleeease! I don’t want to wait until Thursday…” Simon implored his mother, pouting and looking every inch the naughty schoolboy as he squeezed his fists and smacked his bare thighs in frustration.
In his mother’s eyes Simon was no longer a teenager of nineteen summers, but more her little boy ready to take his first nervous steps into his grammar school.
“Simon, I don’t want you to make it worse for yourself than it is already. We agreed that you would abide by my rules just as long as you were living under my roof. I see no evidence that you are about to change your accommodation arrangements, therefore I must conclude that you are willing to obey my wishes when it comes to your discipline. That is the case is it not?”
“Yes, mummy,” Simon bowed his head, unable to argue. His mother was right. He had agreed to do his chores and behave himself while he lived at home. “I’m sorry if I’ve upset you, mummy…”
“You’ve not upset me, Simon… not in the least,” Amanda paused and thought for a moment, “Since you’ve taken the trouble to change into your nice uniform you may keep it on and you may also change into it on your return home each day…”
“Oh, mummy…” Simon exclaimed, shocked at this imposition.
“Simon,” Amanda warned her son sternly, “I will lay your uniform out on your bed each day and I will expect you to go straight up to your room and change without any argument. Are we agreed?”
Defeated, Simon nodded his head, “Yes, mummy.”
******
Thursday came round soon enough. What Simon didn’t know was that his mother’s book club would be meeting at their house that very day. He was still unaware when he heard the doorbell ringing. Simon had changed into his school uniform and was already on edge as he wondered what his punishment would be following his transgression a few days before.
His mother called out from the kitchen: “Simon! Would you see who that is please? I’m busy.”
This was new to Simon. He’d never answered the front door dressed in short trousers. He was about to call back to his mother that he couldn’t go to the door; that he was wearing his school uniform, but he realised to do that would be a mistake, so he walked into the hall right up to the front door. Simon took a deep breath and reached up and grasped the door-knob. He stood behind the door, shielding himself from view, as he turned the knob and slowly opened and peered around the door to see who it was.
“Hello Simon… It is Simon isn’t it? I’m Betty Crabbe, a friend of your mother’s… she is expecting me,” Betty Crabbe announced herself brightly to the bewildered boy.
“I, er… you’d better come in,” Simon said, still cowering behind the door as he opened it wide enough for Betty Crabbe to enter the hall.
“I chair the Bunbury Ladies Reading Circle… your mother’s a member,” Betty explained to the increasingly nervous Simon, who realised that at some point this lady was going to see what he was wearing.
“You see we were getting a bit fed up always meeting at the same house, so at our last gathering we decided to take it in turns to host our little group and your mother’s name was top of the list. Did she not say anything?”
Simon was shocked as he grasped the full implication of what he was being told: “You mean… here… today… now?”
“Yes, Simon… that’s the idea,” Betty said and then asked, “Simon, don’t think I’m being nosy, but do you always hide behind the door like that when you have visitors?”
“No, er, it’s nothing… um, why don’t you, er, go through to the front room… Mrs, er Crabbe,” Simon replied, getting and sounding very flustered, “I, er… I need to, er go and change…”
“You’ll do no such thing,” his mother said sternly as she walked into the hall, “Now stop being silly and come out from behind that door, Simon and say ‘hello’ properly to Mrs Crabbe…”
“Mum… I can’t… please… please don’t make me,” Simon pleaded as he cowered behind the open door.
“Simon, I’m warning you… don’t make things worse for yourself. Stop this ridiculous infantile behaviour right now, because if I have come over there and drag you from behind that door I shall confiscate all your other clothes for the next four weeks and you will only be allowed to wear what you are wearing now… unless you would prefer to wear nothing at all.”
Betty Crabbe turned to Amanda Waters and smiled, “Oh, is that what all this performance is about? Simon is already wearing his short trousers,” she said answering her own question, “I might have guessed.”
Amanda Waters had had quite enough and without further ado she marched straight over to Simon, reached up, took him by the ear and pulled him out from behind the door.
Simon squealed in protest, begging his mother to let him go, but Amanda held onto his ear telling her son that she would only let go once he’d apologised to Betty Crabbe.
“I’m sorry…. I’m sorry… Oh, mummy, please… it hurts…” Simon said as he squirmed in front of his mother’s visitor.
“I’m still waiting for a proper apology, Simon,” his mother reminded him as she held onto his ear.
Simon finally found the right words and apologised for his behaviour to Betty Crabbe.
“Thank you Simon,” Betty said and walked up to the embarrassed boy, “Now let’s get you straightened up again… Your short trousers have got all rucked up while you did your little dance… Fancy a big boy like you making such a fuss.” And with that Betty Crabbe reached down and slipped her fingers up into the front of Simon’s short trousers. She gave them a gentle tug and then brushed them with the open palms of her hands as she marvelled at how they must be the shortest boy’s short trousers she’d ever seen.
“There we are… all nice and smart again… and you’re going to be looking just as smart wearing your short trousers for the next four weeks now I believe…”
Simon couldn’t prevent a slight groan from passing through his lips as he looked pleadingly at his mother, but he could see it would be no use for him to say anything. There was no point in arguing, far from it, that was the worse thing he could do. Simon knew from experience that his mother would think nothing of extending the period during which he would wear short trousers.
Just at that moment came the sound of girls’ voices through the still open front door.
“That’ll be Cynthia James with Abigail and Heather by the sounds of it,” Betty Crabbe said to Amanda, “If you remember her girls were so interested in our last book they simply begged to be allowed to come along to one of our meetings… I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all… Of course I don’t mind,” Amanda replied.
Simon’s face was ashen as he unconsciously rubbed his bare thighs together and looked from his mother to Betty and back again.
The sound of the girls’ footsteps on the path grew closer...
