(gap: 2s) In the gentle town of Seaford, where the sea mist drifted over the privet hedges and children played merrily in the lanes, there lived a family in a neat little house on Chyngton Close. The children, dressed in their best jumpers and skirts, spent their days in laughter and games, watched over by their kind but firm mother.
One Sunday afternoon, before the great changes that would come to their family, the children gathered in the sitting room to play a board game. There was Peter, the eldest, and his two younger sisters. As the game went on, Peter began to lose, and instead of being gracious, he called his sisters unkind names and even tried to cheat.
Their mother, who was pouring tea in the parlour, called out, “Children, please play nicely.” But the quarrelling continued, and soon, one sister rolled the dice and sent Peter’s piece back to the start. In a fit of temper, Peter accused her of cheating and swept the board onto the floor.
The room fell silent. The mother appeared in the doorway, her face calm but serious. All three children knew at once that they were in trouble. Peter tried to say he had slipped, but Mother had seen everything.
Mother gathered the girls and sat them on the settee. “You were told to play nicely,” she said. “Now, because you did not, you must learn a lesson.” She took each girl gently but firmly across her knee, turned up their skirts, and gave each of them four sharp smacks on the seat of their knickers. The sound echoed in the room, and the girls cried out, but Mother’s face was full of love and purpose.
The girls, with tears in their eyes, were set back on the settee. Peter, hoping to avoid his own punishment, quickly gathered the game pieces and put them away. But Mother was not finished.
She took Peter by the arm and spoke kindly but firmly. “You have been warned before about being unkind, about cheating, and about telling untruths. As the eldest, you should set a good example for your sisters. Because you did not, you are partly to blame for their punishment.”
“There is an easy way to learn, and there is a hard way,” Mother said. “You have chosen the hard way.” Peter knew what was coming next.
“Go and have your bath. Be back here in thirty minutes, ready for bed.” Peter hurried away, his heart heavy. He washed quickly, put on his pyjamas, and waited on his bed, dreading what was to come.
At last, he went downstairs. His sisters sat on the settee, their eyes still red but their faces a little brighter. Mother stood waiting, the slipper in her hand, her face gentle but determined.
“Before your punishment, you must apologise to your sisters for the trouble you caused.” Peter, his voice trembling, said he was sorry. Mother nodded. “Now, turn around and touch your toes.”
Peter obeyed, his heart pounding. Mother lifted his dressing gown and, through his pyjamas, gave him three very firm smacks with the slipper. Each smack stung sharply, and Peter cried out, tears streaming down his face. Mother held him gently in place and gave a fourth, even harder smack in the centre of his bottom, followed by two more, one on each side, making six in all. The pain was real, and the lesson was clear: unkindness, cheating, and lying would not be tolerated.
When it was over, Mother let him stand. He sobbed and apologised again, his bottom sore and his heart full of regret.
Usually, he would be sent to his room, but this time, Mother told him to stand facing the wall and think about why telling the truth was so important. His sisters were sent to get ready for bed, and Peter stood quietly, shifting from foot to foot, his lesson sinking in.
After a while, the girls returned in their nightclothes. Mother gave them each a jam sandwich, which they ate quietly. Peter waited, still facing the wall, thinking about his actions.
When the girls had finished, Mother turned to all three children. “You have all been punished for quarrelling and misbehaving. But your brother has made things worse by being unkind, cheating, and telling untruths. This must never happen again.”
Peter tried to promise he would never do it again, but Mother stopped him. “It is not enough to say you will not do it again. You must show it by your actions.”
Mother turned to the girls. “Remember, my dears, always tell the truth and be kind. As for you, young man, you must learn your lesson well.” Then she said, “touch your toes again.”
Peter hesitated, for he had never been punished like this before. But Mother’s voice was gentle but firm. “Now, unless you wish to make things worse for yourself.”
Peter bent over, touching his toes, feeling very small and sorry indeed.
Mother spoke clearly, so all the children would remember. “I will not tolerate unkindness.” She gave him two very hard smacks, one on each cheek. The pain was sharp, and Peter cried out, but he knew he deserved it.
“I will not tolerate cheating.” Again, two hard smacks, one on each cheek. Peter’s tears flowed freely, but he stayed in place, learning his lesson.
“Most of all, I will not tolerate telling untruths.” The last two smacks were the hardest of all, and Peter sobbed, but he understood that Mother was teaching him to be honest and good.
At last, Mother tapped his shoulder, and he stood up, tears in his eyes. “I am very sorry, Mother,” he said, and he meant it with all his heart.
Mother told him to put on his clothes and go to his room to think about how he could be better in the future. Peter wanted to protest, for it was still early and he would miss his favourite programmes, but he knew he must obey.
As he passed his sisters, they gave him a look of sympathy. Later, he learned that they had listened to every smack, and though they were glad not to be in his place, they felt sorry for him too.
After a while, as Peter lay in bed, his bottom still sore, Mother came to him with a jam sandwich. She sat with him as he ate, and in that moment, he felt loved and cared for, despite his punishment.
None of them knew that it would be the last time Mother would have to punish Peter in this way for two years—not because he became perfect, but because of the changes that were soon to come to their family.
