The Test...a “Little One” story (M/f)

(c) 2001 by Sampast and Don A. Landhill

 

It had been a long week.  But a good one, I must say.  My little one had been off from school.  My wife and I took turns taking off from work.  There was only one day that we sent her to daycare.  And we spent lots of time with Samantha on the weekends and each weeknight.  I have to say she had been very well behaved.  I’d also have to say that I was surprised.

 

I know that sounds mean.  And it’s not like Samantha is a horrible child, but she did get into more scrapes than any other seven year-old child I had ever encountered before.  I knew my friends did not have as much difficulty with their children.  But I loved her very much.  Samantha had spunk.

 

We were very busy during the week.  I had made lots of plans to keep my little one busy.  We went different places and did stuff around the house together.  And every night we had been helping her study for a big social studies test that was coming up.  Far be it from me to wonder why a teacher would give a big test on the day children returned from a week-long vacation, but that’s exactly when the test was scheduled for.

 

It was the last night before the test.  I looked over at my little one who had just finished all the flash cards her mother had made.  “Little one, I think you are really getting this down.  I am proud of you.”

She smiled and said, “Thanks, Daddy.  We been practicing every night.”

I nodded.  “Yes.  I'm glad you came to us for help.  Do you feel comfortable about the test?”

“Yes, Daddy, I really think I'm gonna do much better this time,” she said.  I looked over at her, not understanding what she said.  She realized too, and covered her mouth as if to say “oops”.  

 

"This time? What do you mean, this time?  Your last big test in social studies was several months ago, and you did okay on that, didn't you?”

Samantha said, “Uh huh.  I just meant, uh, that, uh,” she stuttered, and then finally just looked away.

 

I was very suspicious.  “I can tell that you are not saying something.  Samantha, tell me about it.  What is there that you haven't told me?”

She bit her lip.  I knew that was a sign that she knew she was in trouble.  She seemed to be afraid to tell me.  I tried to encourage her the best I could.

 

Finally she spoke.  “Well, Daddy, this test tomorrow?  Um, it’s kinda a make up test.”  She looked down and mumbled the rest.  “I f-f-failedthelastone.” 

 

I managed to figure out what she had said.  I became very upset.  I looked at my little one and said, “Samantha?!  When did this happen? I didn't see any failed test, did I?”

I looked over at Denise.  Had my little one shown her a failed test and she didn’t tell me?  Denise looked as confused as I was.  She looked at Samantha too and waited for an answer.

 

Samantha looked at her mother and then at me.  “Uh, n-n-no, sir.  I kinda didn't show it to you.”

 

I sighed.    

 

My little one continued.  “It was last Friday, before vacation.  I didn't wanna be in trouble for the whole vacation,” she admitted sadly, still looking down.

I looked at Denise and sighed again.  I turned to my little one.  “I see.  Samantha, what is the rule about tests?  Particularly tests where you don't do well?”

“I gotta show them to you, Daddy?”

 

“Yes, you do.”

 

“My teacher said you had to sign it.  I was gonna show it to you.”

 

“When were you planning on doing that, Samantha Karen?” Denise asked.

 

“Uh, tomorrow morning, Mommy.”

“Samantha, is it okay to hide bad news from us?” I asked her.

 

She didn’t speak; just shook her head no.  

 

“And didn't I ask you last Friday evening how things were going at school? And didn't you say ‘just fine’?” I asked, becoming exasperated.

Samantha nodded.  I looked at my wife and she sighed.  “Where is the test now, Samantha?” Denise asked.

 

We watched as our little one made her way slowly to her bookbag, unzipped a hidden compartment, and unfolded the test.  I knew that Denise had cleaned out Samantha’s bookbag, but apparently she had missed that section.  She ran over and handed me the test.

 

I sighed as I looked at it.  “This is a very poor grade, Samantha.”

 

I showed it to Denise.  She just stared at our little one.

 

“I’m sorry I hid it from you, Daddy.  Are you very angry?”

I never got angry when my little one acted up.  But rather, I became very disappointed in her behavior.  I always tried to explain the difference to her.  I also never spanked when I was angry or too upset.

 

I looked over at her.  She was trying to read my face.  “Well, I am quite unhappy with you, Samantha Karen.  Not so much for having failed -- although I suspect you weren’t studying as much and you might have -- but for having hidden this from us until the last minute. This is like lying, and telling me that things are 'just fine’ when you have a failed test waiting to be signed is lying.”

 

I looked over at my wife to see if she had anything to add.  “And Samantha,” she said, “if this test was a week ago Friday, why didn’t Daddy and I know about it?”

 

I hadn’t thought of that.  I looked at my daughter.  She bit her lip.  Again.  “Cuz I didn’t tell you, Mommy?” she asked.

 

Denise nodded.  “So that makes one more lie, Samantha.”

“I sorry, Daddy.  I sorry, Mommy.  I didn't mean to lie.  I just didn't wanna be in big trouble,” she cried.

Denise said, “But you’re in bigger trouble now, Samantha Karen.”

 

I added, “If you try your best and don't understand school work, you are never in trouble, you know that.  And even if you had been letting things go and not working as you should, that would have been pretty minor trouble compared to lying and hiding things from us.”
 

“Yes, sir.  I sorry, Daddy,” she cried.  She looked at me and said very quietly, “Are you gonna spank me?”

 

I just nodded.  She knew she had one coming.

 

“Please don't, Daddy, I'm sorry,” she cried again.

 

“Stop saying you’re sorry, Samantha Karen.  You know an ‘I’m sorry’ doesn’t get you out of a spanking that you have earned,” Denise pronounced.

I nodded and said, “Now that you got caught you are sorry.  Well you are going to be much sorrier, young lady.  This was a direct lie.  Plus you hid the failed test for the whole week of vacation.  You have a paddling and a mouth soaping coming, and you will be grounded for the next week, to help you remember not to hide things.”

 
What our little one did next took us both by surprise.  She ran from the room, yelling, “NOOOO!”

 

We ran upstairs and each took a room to search.  I found her in the closet in her bedroom.  “Samantha Karen, come out of there right now.  You know better than to run away from me, particularly when you have a spanking coming already.”

 

While I waited for an answer, I went to her desk and retrieved the wooden ruler.  I placed it in my hand and walked back over to her closet.  She was still in there.

From inside the closet a little voice pleaded, “But Daddy, I not want one!”

I felt my wife’s presence behind me and turned to look at her.  She looked in and put her hand out to Samantha.

 

I looked at my little one and said, “That's too bad. You should have thought of that before lying to us.  You have already got the ruler coming for running away.  Now don't make me haul you out of the closet, or it will be even worse,” I said, tapping the ruler against my palm as I spoke.

 

Samantha took Denise’s hand and came out of the closet.  She looked up at me, tears already falling.  

 

“Samantha Karen, I am very disappointed in you,” I said, leading her by the arm to her desk chair.  I sat down and stood her in front of me.  She was crying very hard and I just knew I couldn’t spank her when she was like that.

 

Denise sat down on the bed behind me.  I pulled our little one into my lap and held her firmly, but lovingly.  “Samantha, we still love you, and we always will, no matter what.  You know that!”

 

She nodded.

 

“When you misbehave I have to punish you, but I still love you and I always will,” I added.
 

She sobbed, “I know, Daddy, but I'm sorrrry!” she said, crying against me.

 

“I know you are.  But you need to learn to think first and stick to the rules, not be sorry afterwards,” I told her.
 

She looked at Denise and sniffled.  She looked back at me and said, “Yes, sir.”

 

Denise whispered into my ear and I nodded.  She quietly left the room.  “All right, now I’m afraid it is time for your paddling, Samantha,” I told my little one.
 

“Yes, Daddy,” she said, standing up.  I could tell she was trying to be brave.

 

I put her over my lap, having pulled down her pants and panties.  I lifted the ruler and brought it down on her bare bottom.  I started to paddle her hard. {Crack!!} {Crack!!} {Crack!!} {Crack!!} {Crack!!} {Crack!!} {Crack!!} {Crack!!} {Crack!!} {Crack!!} {Crack!!}
 

“Owwwwwwwwwwww, DADDIIEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!  I'm sorrrrrrrrrrrrrry!” she cried.

I kept right on going, trying to keep her from wiggling off my lap.  {Crack!!} {Crack!!} “You should be sorry. {Crack!!} You will not lie to me or Mommy {Crack!!} ever again. {Crack!!} {Crack!!} You will not  {Crack!!} hide things from us {Crack!!} that you know  {Crack!!} we should know about. {Crack!!} Is that clear?” {Crack!!} {Crack!!}
 

“Owwww, yessssssssirrrrrrrr!”

{Crack!!} {Crack!!} “And you will not run away from me. {Crack!!} That will only {Crack!!} get you in {Crack!!} worse trouble.” {Crack!!} {Crack!!}  
 

“Yes, Daddy,” she said sobbing.  Then she put her hand back to stop the spanks.  I quickly took her wrist and pinned it firmly to the small of her back with my left hand.

 

“Samantha Karen! {Crack!!} {Crack!!} {Crack!!} You know  {Crack!!} {Crack!!} better than that!” {Crack!!}

“Owwwwwwww, Daddddy, you're hurtttttingggg meeeee!” she cried.

But I didn’t let what she said get to me.  I was almost done, anyhow.  {Crack!!} “Spankings {Crack!!} are supposed to hurt.”  I added a few more to her sitspot.  {Crack!!} {Crack!!} {Crack!!} {Crack!!} {Crack!!} {Crack!!} {Crack!!} {Crack!!} {Crack!!}

 

Finally I stopped and put down the ruler.  “All right, Samantha, your spanking is over.”

She continued to lie there, sobbing.  I reached down and rubbed her back and her bottom.  It was very red.  I was wondering if I should let her off without the soaping since she was so upset.  I waited and let her sob for a bit.

 

She finally looked up at me, sniffling a little.  “Daddy? Do you hate me?” she asked in a little voice.
 

I stood her up then and put her on her knees in my lap.  “Oh no, little one.  I don't hate you.  I love you.  And that was an extra hard spanking because you were very naughty.  I'm sorry I had to be so strict, but you really must not lie.”

“Yes, Daddy, I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to be bad,” she said.

 

“Oh, little one, you’re not bad.  I know you just got scared to tell Mommy and Daddy about the test.  But it is always better to get things over with.  Letting things wait always makes them worse.”

She shook her head up and down.  “I know.  Do you forgive me, Daddy?”

“Well, you just have to have your mouth-soaping and then this will all be forgiven and forgotten.  I think Mommy is waiting for you in the bathroom.”

 

“Yes, sir,” she said sadly.  I think she was hoping we would forgo the mouth-soaping.  And I had thought about it.  But since we had told her it was happening, we needed to do it.  We tried to be consistent with our punishments. 

 

Denise was indeed waiting for Samantha in the bathroom.  I didn’t check on them, but I assumed my wife put the soap in our little one’s mouth and let it sit there for several minutes.  Then, I’m sure, she let her rinse.  Before I knew it, Samantha had run back into her room.  I had already put the ruler away.  She ran into my arms, sobbing.

 

“Do you forgive me now, Daddy?”

 

I pulled my little one up into my lap again.  Her bottom was still bare from the spanking.  But that was okay.  She would be getting ready for bed very soon.

 

“Oh yes, I forgive you, little one.  But please don't ever let this happen again.  When there is bad news, share it with us.  Then it won't be as bad, and maybe we can help.  Okay?”

“Okay, Daddy.”

 

“I think it’s time for you to get ready for bed, little one,” I said, putting her down on the floor.

  

She looked up at me, tears streaked down her face.  “Daddy? Will you just hold me for a few minutes?”

“Yes, of course,” I said, picking her up again.  I cuddled her tight to me, making sure her bottom wasn’t resting on anything.  I knew it must have been pretty sore.  I had given her an awfully hard paddling.

 

I saw Denise peek her head in.  She saw Samantha and I cuddling.  She smiled and walked in.  She sat down opposite us on the bed.  I turned my little one so that she could see her mommy.

 

Samantha smiled.  “Mommy? Daddy? I'm really sorry I didn't show you the test.”

 
”Well, next time you will, right? Even if it is not a good one?”

 

“Yes, Daddy, I will.  I promise,” she said.

 

“That’s my good girl.  Now I'll bet you are ready to go to bed.  Can you get ready, and Mommy and I will tuck you in?” I asked.

 

She nodded.  We watched her as she carefully put on her pajamas.  She then headed for the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.  When she came back, she said, “I’m ready.”

 

Denise pulled down the covers.  I picked up our little one and put her into bed like a much younger girl.  I knew that she was very vulnerable after a spanking and often acted a little bit younger than her seven years.  I didn’t mind babying her.  After all, she was my little one.

I watched as Denise kissed her forehead.  “I love you, baby,” she said.

 

“Love you, too.  G’nite Mommy,” Samantha said.

 

“Nite,” Denise said, handing our little one her teddy bear.  She quietly slipped out of the room.

 

I leaned down and kissed my little one on the cheek.  “I love you, little one and I always will, no matter what.  Now good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite.”

 

She smiled and whispered, “But if they do, take your shoe and beat them til they're black and blue.  G’nite Daddy.  I love you.”

 

She reached up and gave me one last hug.  I turned on her nightlight and walked out.  

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Epilogue:  That day had been a test of sorts for our little one.  She learned a good lesson.  Samantha did do well on the make-up social studies test.  But then a few weeks later, she did poorly on a math test.  She was a little scared to show us, but then remembered what happened this time.  Instead of hiding it from us, she brought it right to us and stood up and admitted that she hadn’t understood the concept before the test. 

 

Denise and I were so proud that she came to us and admitted she had been wrong.  We helped her with the math and spoke to the teacher about allowing her to make up the test.  I’m proud to say that Samantha got a hundred the second time around.

        

I’m also happy to say that even though sometimes it seems as though I’m spanking my little one every day, she does learn from her mistakes.

 

The end.  Until next time.