This short story is an entry in the 2002 Soc.Sexuality.Spanking Summer Short Story Contest and is copyright by the author and commercial use is prohibited without permission. Personal/private copies are permitted only if complete including the copyright notice. The author would appreciate your comments
Category: Period In the Brooklyn Museum of Art (actually a world class museum but not noticed much because of the giant's shadow it is in) I saw a painting by William Sidney Mount Caught Napping (1848) in their nicely redone American section. I could not find an image of it on the web so I have to describe it. It is a scene at the edge of a farm with four characters who are obviously related -- two boys, their father and grandfather. Dad is shaking older boy awake while holding playing cards that the two youths had been playing with. The younger lad is in a daze looking into the distance and granddad, leaning on his cane, watches. The label explains that the boys have been negligent for they should have been working and certainly should/will be punished (something that would never have occurred to me). Alas, the painter was a few minutes too early. Considering that this was a century and a half ago, it does not take much imagination to imagine what will happen next.
Caught Napping
By
Y Lee Coyote <YLeeCoyote@juno.com>
"Jehoshaphat wake up; wake up you lazy good-for-nothing." The boy slowly returned to the world and greeted his angry father. His lollygagging second son, Hezekiah, was then yanked back into this world.
There was no denying that they not been doing the work assigned; the effort that would put life sustaining bread on the table the coming winter. They begged forgiveness and promised to work late to make up for it.
"Ephraim, I remember you saying that to me but you didn't. It was not until I beat you that you forsook your lazy ways and rejected the devil's entreats into slovenly misbehavior."
Ephraim remember all too well even though it was more than twenty years before. He was lying over a bale of hay when his father had used his razor strap on his bare bottom so hard that he could not sit for three days!
"STRIP, boys." ordered their angry father. Trembling, the two lads let their overalls fall and they stepped out of them while pulling off their shirts.
"Go cut some switches. And they had better be good ones." The boys fished in their overalls for their pocket knives and ran for the willow tree. They quickly selected branches that would be acceptable knowing from bitter experience that it would be far worse if they did otherwise.
"Lean on the tree." growled their father after accepting the supple switches. The two did as ordered with their butts jutting out waiting. They did not have to wait long. Ephraim raised the one switch and brought it crashing down hard on Jehoshaphat's rump while his father, still leaning on his cane, impelled the other into Hezekiah's tail. Both yelped in pain.
Their father and grandfather were really angry and the boys gripped the tree as best as they could. They knew that they deserved this and that moving would not be acceptable. Time after time times the switches were raised and flying down on the defenseless hams. Two sets of eyes were full of tears. Two rumps were well stripped.
"Now, get back to work. We'll continue this discussion this evening."
"Yes, father." the boys answered immediately and respectfully.
As Jehoshaphat bent over to get his clothes, grandpa raised his cane -- a thick wooden walking stick -- and gave him a couple of hard whacks across his already tender rump. Jehoshaphat howled only to be ordered to get back to work instantly or to get more.
They dressed quickly and dashed off to their neglected chores. They spoke little for there was the constant roar from their scorched tails. They returned late and immediately set to milk the cows. They did not bother to use the milking stools but just knelt by each cow.
Their father was waiting when they returned to the house. Again they were ordered to strip, and leaving their clothes on the porch and they went to the woodshed for a second dose. This time the razor strap was the implement.
They would not forget this day.
The End
© Copyright June 20, 2002
See my stories at http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/YLeeCoyote/www/
Reviews
Kate <ecattiva(at)aol(dot)com>
I don't really know how else to say it other than that I found this story hot almost in spite of myself. The imagery was great and the names were fantastic. I love the idea that this was inspired by a painting, and it really shows in the vivid details that made the story come to life. There were a few places where the writing could be polished just a bit if one were going to nitpick, but this was a really fun and entertaining story, with widespread appeal even for those of us who aren't generally interested in the M/m genre.
Pablo Stubbs <Pablo.Stubbs(at)newsguy(dot)com>
Simplicity is the thing here. There aren't any nuances deeper than pure - and deserved - punishment, and that's the appeal and the heart of the story. The mirroring of the events by the grandfather works well, too. Most of all, it makes me want to see the painting that influenced the story.
Sarah Nada <circler73(at)hotmail(dot)com>
Like some of Y. Lee's other stories, Caught Napping is based on an image from a painting. The scene includes a father, a grandfather, and two children, and I like the way the author weaves a bit about the father's childhood into the larger story. The actual punishment is vividly told, and the period details are nice too.
Needy Wench <needywench(at)hotmail(dot)com>
«They would not forget this day.....» We likely won't forget your story either, with its vivid imagines of gangly teenagers' naked scrambling to cut their own switches. I especially like the idea of Grandpa switching, while leaning on his cane. Few words between them, but lots of consequences for misdeeds. The stuff all good stories are made of!