Once upon a time, in a small, sunlit town, there lived two children named Laura and Peter. They were brother and sister, and though they often quarreled, they shared many adventures together. Their mother, a kind but firm lady, worked very hard as a nurse, and the children lived with their grandparents in a neat little house with pink walls and a garden full of orange blossoms.
Laura and Peter were not always as well-behaved as they ought to have been. Sometimes, they argued over toys or books, and sometimes they forgot to do their chores. Their mother, who was often tired from her long hours at the hospital, tried her best to teach them right from wrong. She would speak to them gently, hoping they would learn to be good and helpful.
One summer, when the days were long and the air was sweet with the scent of flowers, Laura and Peter’s mischief grew worse. They bickered at the breakfast table, left their beds unmade, and even broke a lamp during a quarrel over a comic book. Their mother grew more and more worried, for she wanted her children to grow up to be honest and kind.
At last, after a particularly troublesome day, their mother decided that a lesson must be taught. She spoke to her own father, Grandfather Chester, who told her how, when he was a boy, he had once stolen apples from a neighbour’s tree and had been soundly punished. “Discipline,” he said, “is a lesson that must be learned, for it helps children grow into good men and women.”
That evening, as the sun set and the house grew quiet, Mother called Laura and Peter to her. “Children,” she said, “I am very disappointed in your behaviour. Tomorrow morning, you shall both receive a proper punishment, so that you may remember to be good in future.” The children felt a shiver of fear, for they knew their mother always kept her word.
The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight crept through the curtains, Mother entered the children’s room. She carried with her a slender wooden rod, polished and gleaming. “Up, both of you!” she said. “Beds made, teeth brushed, and no dawdling!” Peter grumbled, and Laura made a face, but they obeyed.
When the chores were done, Mother turned to Peter first. “Peter, you have been rude, lazy, and disrespectful. You shall receive eleven smacks with the rod, one for each of your misdeeds.” Peter’s face turned pale, but he did not protest. Mother led him to the bedroom, where Grandfather and Grandmother sat quietly at the table.
Peter was told to bend over the end of the bed. Mother raised the rod and brought it down smartly across the seat of his pyjamas. The sound was sharp and clear. “For your rudeness,” she said, and the rod landed with a crisp smack. “For your laziness,” she continued, and another smack followed. “For your disrespect,” and so on, until eleven firm smacks had been given. Peter cried out with each one, and by the end, his eyes were full of tears and his cheeks were red with shame.
When the punishment was over, Mother spoke to Peter in a gentle but serious voice. “You must learn to be polite and helpful, my boy. Only then will you grow into a fine young man.” Peter nodded, still sniffling, and went quietly to his room to think about what he had done.
Now it was Laura’s turn. She felt her heart beat very fast as Mother called her into the bedroom. “Laura, you too have been naughty. You shall receive eight smacks with the rod, one for each of your misdeeds.” Laura did not argue. She bent over as she was told, and Mother delivered eight firm smacks to her, each one a little lesson in itself. Laura tried to be brave, but by the last smack, she too was crying softly.
When it was over, Mother hugged Laura and said, “I do this because I love you, and I want you to remember to be good.” Laura nodded, wiping her tears away, and promised to try her best.
That day, both children learned a very important lesson. They understood that mischief and disobedience bring consequences, but that love and forgiveness follow when one is truly sorry. From that day on, Laura and Peter tried much harder to be kind, helpful, and honest, and their mother was very proud of them.
And so, in the little pink house with the orange blossoms, peace returned. The children played in the garden, helped with the chores, and remembered always the lesson of the rod: that discipline, though sometimes hard, is given with love, and helps us all to grow up good and true.
