monday five minutes to six

a pretty girl in a summer dress hurries

along the now quiet high street

something in a shop window catches her

eye and she stops

but only for a moment she glances up at

a clock over a jeweler’s shop

and trots a few steps before slowing

into her bouncing

agile walk again into the door beside

the tea shop

up the narrow winding stairs onto the

first floor landing

the girl knocks on the paneled door it

is opened by another girl

anne dressed in a tartan skirt and white

blouse with a frilled rough at the neck

hello is this miss etheridge’s flat yes

i think she’s expecting you you’d better

come in

the new girl is ushered in and encloses

the door behind her

miss etheridge is in the room with the

lace curtains

the late afternoon sun dapples the back

wall of the room

and glints on the silver teapot on a

tray in front of the window

good evening i’m sally mortimer

my uncle yes i know who you are

you may sit down sally sits precariously

on the edge of a straight-backed chair

watching miss etheridge watching the

clock which ticks quietly on a tall

glass fronted cabinet

may i say how grateful i am miss

etheridge that you

quite so sally quite so now be quiet

girl

i am planning this evening’s lesson

sally subsides

and glances around the room it is a

rather old-fashioned room

though the furniture looks to be quite

valuable

in the wall dappled by the sunlight

there is another door which might be a

cupboard

in one of the panels there is a knot

hole and sally stares thoughtfully at it

not knowing where else to look nor why

the three of them are simply sitting

waiting and takes her violin from its

case and resins her bow

sally does the same and then whispers

marion’s late

she won’t half-cock it this time sally

doesn’t know what to say

but she tries to look grateful for the

information imparted to her

she takes out her violin and plucks at a

string

miss etheridge’s eyes flicker to her and

sally says a sorry

not knowing quite why the sound of

pounding footsteps on the stairs

brings only a raised eyebrow from miss

etheridge

a knock sounds timidly on the door and

i believe this may be our latecomer yes

miss etheridge she hurries out to admit

marion

who flusters into the room bangs her

violin case against a spindler-legged

table

and causes a rather ugly vas to wobble

dangerously

why is it that you can never do anything

quite right marion

says miss etheridge i am ever so sorry

miss etheridge

but the bus was late and that is no

concern of mine young lady

i’m not in the transport business i am a

teacher of music

and why must you come here dressed like

a first form schoolgirl

don’t you know that it’s bad manners to

call upon people in the evening still

dressed in the clothes you have worn all

day

i’m sorry and you seem to have a

pongshong for being sorry marion

and reasons to be so aplenty so you’ll

understand when i say that i intend to

make you sorry yet again

though for a more tangible reason marion

looks to the other girls for support

but finds herself quite alone she bites

anxiously at her bottom lip

while miss etheridge prepares for a

little ceremony in which paul marion has

taken part before

sally’s eyes widen as miss etheridge

produces an old leather slipper from

within the music compartment of the

piano stool

if you please marry him the slipper

gestures to another stool

a taller one which resides behind the

piano against a wall

marion swallows she seems most reluctant

come on girl we’ve wasted enough time

for you as it is

miss etheridge’s voice is suddenly

brittle and insistent

marion scuttles to the stool and lugs it

to the middle of the room

sally stares unbelievably as the girl

then hoists up her pleated skull skirt

to her waist

her plump softly contoured bottom

cuddled snuggly in her white cotton

knickers

and is then ordered peremptorily across

the stool haven’t you forgotten

something marion

said with a chill inflection of the

voice miss etheridge

you’re knickers girl where should they

be

ah i’m sorry miss whack

sally jumps almost as violently as does

the girl across the stool

who squirms to one side away from the

threatening slipper

and gasps between her teeth where should

they be marion

the slipper hovers menacingly d down

miss etheridge

yes down girl the slipper smacks again

and marion bleats her apologies and

struggles to tuck her knickers down

without daring to get up from the stool

they slip easily off her elevated bomb

cheeks but her weight makes it difficult

for her to price them down from under

her tummy

she pulls desperately at them though and

at last yanks them down

the stool teetering as she struggles

with the uncooperative knickers

now then marion what time should you

have been here

s six o’clock miss f whack

six quite right marion

and five more stinging smacks crack

eagerly across the protesting girl’s up

turned bottom

the bright marks reddening rapidly so

that as the sixth spank lands it does so

on two cheeks already patched pink

and crimson and what time do we finish

our lesson girl

e8 miss ether and after eight more

strokes paul marion’s gasps are being

interspersed by what sounds to sally

like sobs

and how old are you marion m miss

p please don’t she squeals as the

slipper catches her on first one bear

thigh

and then the other she wriggles

helplessly and gasts the answer

sixteen whack and shouldn’t a girl of

sixteen

whack have learned to tell the time

splat

a marion shouldn’t she

wallop oh why yes but d don t smack me

any

the slipper hearing nothing of marion’s

sobbing please

kisses her delicately coloring cheeks

until the sentence is completed

marion wriggles tearfully but the full

number is given nevertheless

and then she is ordered to her feet the

stool is replaced

and marion is told to dry her eyes and

grow up

being a big girl of 16 as she is

miss etheridge places the slipper

conspicuously on top of the piano

and takes her seat the three girls

gather nervously around and tune their

instruments with marion still sniffing

fitfully

and can you stop that marion says miss

etheridge

do you want your strings to lose their

tension because of the dampness in the

air

she smiles at her own humor none of the

girls sees the joke

the lesson begins it just isn’t marion’s

day

fetch the stool marion but miss

etheridge

you’re playing like someone with gloves

on

now fetch the stool oh no please

my my bottom’s ever so s or miss

please don’t do you want me to make you

fetch the strap as well marion

s-strap oh and no

then bring the stool and be quick about

it

oh marion scampers for the stool and

carries it clumsily back to the center

of the room

banging one of the legs against her shin

and whimpering miserably as she stands

hobbling on one foot

miss etheridge hovers the slipper

loitering menacingly in her hand by her

side

marion stops hopping well

ah marion fumbles with her skirt

hoisting it reluctantly up her legs

and making a pantomime of it the tight

tuck where her little girl knickers slip

between the tops of her thighs peeps out

from below the hem at the front

and shuffles her feet and sally blinks

unbelievably

and finds herself trying to remember

what knickers she’s got on

just in case marion petulantly completes

the unveiling of her silly schoolgirl

knickers

and her plump cheeks thrust themselves

out behind the pants covering only part

of the spankable bits

and the crimson overlap glowing in

bright contrast to the white cotton

ddu shall i of course you stupid girl

get them down at once they come down

the tender cheeks spilling hotly out

over the elastic

marion leaves them clinging around her

thighs and puts herself back across the

stool

the wooden top still warm from her

occupation of only a few minutes before

the slipper strokes its cool touch up

and over the swell of the penitence

bottom

and dabbles playfully on a bright and

tender blotch on the crown of one cheek

now then crack oh

r marion jerks her bottom to one side

the slipper is not deceived

smack o h miss at m miss

no please crack oww

her bare bum cheeks squirm pathetically

and she begins to gast through parted

lips

whack splat crack

the crimson blotches spread rapidly and

marion’s knickers slither treacherously

to her knees

her helpless bottom bounces frantically

and she starts to kick in response to

every stroke

keep still smack a smack whack

miss etheridge gives her pupil another

smarting half dozen

and then simply abandons the wriggling

girl who is left sobbing

semi-hysterically across the stool

some time elapses before marion rejoins

the group around the piano

to stand awkwardly and restlessly as she

tries to pick up the place on the music

the harmonious little gathering doesn’t

last long

i think you’re having one of your days

aren’t you marion

says miss etheridge sweetly missed

yes i’m sure you are really it’s hardly

worth your while bothering to pull your

knickers back

up is it dear if you’re going to have to

take them down again

every five minutes for the rest of the

lesson

miss fetch the cane

oh no mister please i am trying

became marion if you please but but

two extra miss please

for extra oh well

are you going to fetch the cane oh lord

six extra marion scurries away

her violin clattering onto the top of

the piano

the cane is slim and squishy it quivers

malevolently as marion hands it

speechlessly to her tutor

the routine is repeated marion’s

nicholas bottom looms defenseless across

the stool yet again

sally can hardly believe what is about

to happen

she stares wide-eyed and flinches as the

cane swishes smartly across the wretched

marion’s buttocks

marion gurgles her sobs into her hands

as she is methodically caned

her big bottom twitching almost in

resignation as she gets 12 crisp strokes

nice

and stingy across her already smarting

bomb

allowed down from the stool pull marion

stumbles with it to its place behind the

piano

sally’s eyes unable to drag themselves

away from the girls punished buttocks

which bob

and bounce below the caught up hem of

the grey skirt as marion struggles with

the heavy

stool when sally can tear her eyes away

she finds miss etheridge peering at her

with a strange half smile on her lips

flushing with a confusion of

embarrassment for marion and nervousness

for herself

she looks away and wonders what on earth

is going to happen next

the lesson is resumed though marion

still weeps dismally for several minutes

making the other two girls uneasy and

miss etheridge decidedly touchy

looking out of the corner of her eye at

marion as she struggles to keep in time

with the rest of them

sally misreads the music by two whole

bars

miss etheridge stops playing and the

girls scrape on for a second or two

before desisting themselves

concentration says miss etheridge is the

essence of musicianship

she looks pointedly at sally sally what

is the essence of musicianship

i’m a concentration miss says sally

self-consciously

indeed it is says miss etheridge and

that is precisely what you lack isn’t it

sally

ah miss you lack concentration girl

i cannot teach you concentration you can

only learn it by applying yourself

wholeheartedly

the only assistance i can give is by

applying this slipper wholeheartedly

fetch the stool sally oh but miss

yes the single word disarms sally in her

attempt to protest

she stumbles over her theme m miss

i d don t think my uncle w would approve

miss

i’m sure he wouldn’t he would indeed he

does

he understands perfectly that i teach

from pure altruistic motives

and that i refuse to instruct ungrateful

girls who waste my time

i have explained to him that i will not

have my time wasted

sally and i have also explained the

remedy i choose to employers and when i

see fit

now stop vacillating and bring the stool

but miss do you want the strap

and no miss but then do as you are told

girl

at once oh sally hesitates

marion sniffles dismally and then merely

raises an eyebrow

it’s all the same to them if sally wants

to make a fuss

the longer she takes about it the sooner

the lesson will be over

and the less chance there will be of

getting whacked themselves

at last sally goes for the stool just

knowing it’s not a good idea

she loves it petulantly to the middle of

the room her bottom lip pouting

childishly

she puts the stool down and stands a

little way from it

looking nervously at miss etheridge well

says the teacher i don’t see why i

should

says sally dubiously i don’t see why i

have to have my bum smacked

she pouts uncooperatively and titters

miss etheridge glares at her and you’re

next my girl

she says icely as for you sally you’ll

do as you’re told

she stands up the slipper in her hand

now get across that stool get your dress

up

get your knickers down and don’t you

dare defy me again

sally clings onto her dignity a moment

longer then

with the tears prickling behind her

eyelids she lowers her head and

capitulates

her pretty dress drags reluctantly up

her legs stops level with her pubis for

a moment

then slips even more slowly up to her

waist

her pet bum cheeks huddle pathetically

inside her neat little pants

swelling the tight cling of the material

and her thighs squeeze with

embarrassment

sally demands miss etheridge take them

down

sally plucks for lonely at her knickers

they inch haltingly down across the firm

plumpness of her buttocks

come on now write down my girl

sally slides her little pants down at

last

they cling nervously around the tops of

her thighs

now over the stool sally does as she’s

told

though gracelessly her naked bottom

poised across the stool

she clutches at the legs of it and

squeezes her eyes tightly shut

the slipper flicks waspishly at a bare

thigh and sally starts

leg straight insists miss etheridge

demonstrating who’s boss

sally pushes her legs straight and

clings on grimly

her bottom elevated and solidly rounded

temps the restless slipper

whack sally snatches forward and the

slipper spanx again

as its target rocks back into position

she squirms and gulps audibly

smack wallop oh nnmgh

quiet girl and keegan still

miss etheridge cracks another spanx

smartly across the crown of one bear

buttock

sally’s breath hisses with a pain

sibilance through her clenched teeth

her tremulous bottom skids away sideways

the reddening slipper marks already

blooming in soft

edged blobs in the center of each cheek

and the slipper again wax firmly

and sends her back the other way the

girl starts to cry miserably

more from the humiliation than from the

spanking but she gets another 10 or so

before miss etheridge is satisfied

now get up sally and remember

concentration

sally scrambles down from the stool

groping for her pants

and over the stool

anne’s tartan skirt is already hip high

she knows better than to aggravate the

situation

she drags her red nylon knickers down to

stocking top level

and plonks herself face down over the

punishment stool

miss etheridge slippers the pale

unblemished cheeks with deliberate

severity

and without a word and twitches as the

tenderness grows to a smarting sting in

her bottom

but she takes her spanking quite well

only the quickness of her breathing

betraying her pretense of stoicism

the slipper ceases its visitations of as

well and backside

and the girl is told to replace the

stool

the lesson can now continue they manage

to play for a whole five minutes without

the luckless marion losing her knickers

yet again

and then miss etheridge calls upon the

girls to pin up

now time for the final practice piece

sally is at a loss to understand the

woman and watches the other two girls as

they each produce a couple of safety

pins from their handbags

no pins sally inquires miss etheridge

archley

know as a matter of fact miss etheridge

her face demonstrates clearly that she

is quite confused

dear me says miss etheridge well you’ll

have to find a way my dear

this is the final piece you know final

piece

sally sees that marion and n are engaged

in pinning up each other’s skirts

hems being pinned to the shoulders of

their blouses and leaving their knickers

plainly on display

it seems very odd well says miss

etheridge

sally shrugs i’m afraid i didn’t realize

i’d need pins

really well you’ll know next time

meanwhile i suppose you’ll simply have

to take it off

won’t you i take what off miss etheridge

your dress of course how else do you

suppose you’ll manage

unless you can play one-handed while you

hold it up

with a long-suffering look on her face

miss etheridge turns to the other two

girls

and matara factly denudes both their

tender looking bottoms by taking their

knickers down

well come on she says to sally be but

i haven’t got a bra on blurt sally

indeed says the tutor and why should

that stop you taking off your dress prey

but no but girl

take it off this instant or you’ll go

back across the stool

sally realizes she’ll have to do as

she’s told

she pulls her summer dress up to her

shoulders and miss

etheridge slips the girl’s pants down

with an impatient yank even as she is

still removing her dress

sally’s young breasts stand out round

and part nipples small

but pointing sourcely with her knickers

at her knees she is naked safe for her

knee socks and her shoes

nothing seems more ridiculous than

playing a violin under such

circumstances

but play they all do and understandably

none too well

miss etheridge leaves her girls to play

unaccompanied by the piano

instead she takes the part of

percussionist slipper in hand

three bare bottoms each with the marks

of earlier misbehavior

or inadequate attention marian’s fat

young buttocks the most

painfully reddened the faint traces of

her caning overlaying the crimson of

scores of slipper marks

the overall impression one of

considerable tenderness

anne’s bottom less well punished but hot

looking nevertheless

cheeks full and plump and seeming to

shrink away as the slipper passes

and re-passes within a foot or so of its

naked vulnerability

and sally’s little bum slippered only

moderately yet blushing furiously all

the same

the scarlet buttocks are pretty contrast

to the nakedness of her young body

the slipper delis behind sally’s bottom

waiting its cue

smack less vibrato sally

oh yes miss she tweaks her buttocks

trying to relieve the sting crack

fingering marion pay more attention

and marion topples a pace forward her

plump bum cheeks trembling

under the impact she gets another sharp

reminder

and she bleeds dismally as the sting has

her wriggling again

one after another the pert naked bottoms

pay penance

marion’s tender cheeks flame ruby red

and three stinging spanx in quick

succession

make her drop her bow as she tries to

squirm out of range

the two which she gets good and solid

across the full undersides of her

buttocks

as she stoops to retrieve her bow leave

her hopping foolishly

and panting out her sobs and jerks away

as she gets her share but knows better

than to obstruct the course of miss

etheridge

justice she gasps once or twice but

fiddles on resolutely even though she

feels

as though her poor bottom is on fire and

thus

punctuated by the slippers loud and

resounding wallops

and by the three girls alternating yelps

of anguish

the lesson drags onto its clothes the

three girls gratefully retrieve their

knickers and sally puts her dress back

on

miss etheridge sees them to the door

three very polite the goodbyes

are said and the music cheetah closes

the door behind the girls

as they leave and returns to the sitting

room where she opens the cupboard door

the middle-aged gentleman eases off the

chair and gets stiffly to his feet

the two hours being a long time to spend

in a cupboard

his eyes blinking in the unaccustomed

light

miss etheridge bustles away to the

kitchen

she comes back with a pot of coffee

which is politely welcomed by the

gentleman

an envelope sits on the coffee table and

this envelope is discreetly removed by

miss etheridge with only a trace of

genteel embarrassment showing on her

face

she pulls the coffee and they each sit

and sip

the gentleman clears his throat um

may i say how very satisfactory i found

today’s lesson

miss etheridge miss etheridge inclines

her head and smiles

accepting the compliment yes i thought

you dealt with them almost

interestingly i especially like the way

we had the pleasure of seeing the new

girl

i’m almost naked most of um appealing

miss etheridge offers biscuits the

gentleman takes one

and nibbles it he starts to chuckle to

himself

miss etheridge raises an inquiring

eyebrow

i was just thinking of poor marion says

the gentleman

i was thinking how sweet she looked in

her little school mix

and how sore her bottom must have been

he chuckles again

i thought she was going to burst into

tears there and then when you told her

to fetch the cane

and you certainly whipped her his portly

stomach wobbles as he enjoys the

recollection

dear dear poor little marion his eyes

take on a far away mistiness as he

pictures the scene

almost to himself he says but it’s her

own fault of course

she shouldn’t have such a plump little

bottom if she doesn’t want it whipped

absolutely asking for it that bottom of

hers

quite delightful quite charming

i think i gave her something like what

18 strokes

didn’t i says miss etheridge with an eye

to business

the cane being an extra and used only on

special request

and therefore to be added to the bill

something like that my dear lady

you’ll find i’ve adjusted the fee

accordingly

they both smile politely this not being

the first time they’ve done business

and young what’s her name the new girl

sally yes sally very pretty

pretty little bum too don’t you think

i suppose so miss etheridge disapproves

of the word

yes needs a cane across it a

he chuckles again needs something to put

a bit of real colour in her cheeks

that girl i’ll consider it

now did you say you intended to come

again on tuesday week

for the fraser girls ah yes

and the other one linda she’ll be there

too won’t she

yes linda comes on tuesdays

yes now i’d like to see her caned again

and the other two the twins i’d like to

see them strapped

couple of dozen each say and then what

about if

outside the evening turns into dusk and

the street lamps come on

the two people talk on in the little

first floor flat

and the lamplight cool and oddly restful

filters in through the lace curtained

windows