It’s exactly 2pm, so Johnson and I are standing outside the door of The Old Grange.
“What did you do?” asks Johnson.
“Wrong way round the Green Court.” I answer briefly. “And you ?”.
“Missed roll call last night - I had permission to go into town but got back a bit late.”
“Oh, tough luck.”
Two Monitors come along the corridor dressed in Purple gowns, ignore us completely and enter the Old Grange.
“Had we better knock?” Johnson asks.
“Try.” I say.
“Wait!” comes the sharp reply.
“Can I go first please?” Johnson asks.
It’s said that the first caning will be lighter than subsequent ones as the Monitor will be warming up and getting into his swing - it’s not true. All canings by the Monitors are as hard as possible and if the caning Monitor feels out of practice he will have a few practice swings before the first culprit is called.
The door opens: “Come in please.” requests the junior Monitor, a boy called Lumsden.
Johnson goes in and closes the door - there is what seems a long silence, then the muffled sound of the first SWACK comes through the door,
a short pause, two! Another pause of about 7 or 8 seconds, just long enough to allow the Monitor to take a few steps back and a short run to deliver - Three! Four! Five! Six! Johnson like me is a 3rd year so merits the full eight strokes - penalties are fixed by age not by the offence. So Seven! and then Eight!
“What did you do?” asks Johnson.
“Wrong way round the Green Court.” I answer briefly. “And you ?”.
“Missed roll call last night -
“Oh, tough luck.”
Two Monitors come along the corridor dressed in Purple gowns, ignore us completely and enter the Old Grange.
“Had we better knock?” Johnson asks.
“Try.” I say.
“Wait!” comes the sharp reply.
“Can I go first please?” Johnson asks.
It’s said that the first caning will be lighter than subsequent ones as the Monitor will be warming up and getting into his swing -
The door opens: “Come in please.” requests the junior Monitor, a boy called Lumsden.
Johnson goes in and closes the door -
a short pause, two! Another pause of about 7 or 8 seconds, just long enough to allow the Monitor to take a few steps back and a short run to deliver -
Close the Door
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