I felt a mixture of irritation at my own stupidity and despair at what was to come. I had been slippered previously and knew how much it hurt. In my school the slipper hurt far more than the cane and was generally feared by all the boys. I stood there for what seemed like minutes with the eyes of my classmates fixed on me before the teacher returned carrying the instrument of punishment.The teacher addressed the class explaining that my behaviour was both irresponsible and dangerous and that I deserved to be soundly punished. I hoped that I would get only two strokes but was soon told that my offence warranted three strokes of the slipper.