This happened in 1962, my brother Edward was eight and I was
seven. When we returned home from school we found we had a young
French girl, Sonya, staying with us, she was to teach a little
French and generally look after us over the long summer holidays.
She was a pretty girl, elegant and sophisticated in a very French
way. Sonya smoked French cigarettes and drank her coffee black. We
were both in love with her, giving her no peace at all but she was
so amiable, so sweet natured that she never seemed to tire of our
company. Wherever she went, like faithful puppies we would be sure
to follow.

Our parents seeing, how attached we were to Sonya decided it would
be a good idea to go away for a weekend and visit an aged aunt who
was feeling poorly. It was felt on the whole the company of her
nephews would only make her feel even worse. In any case we were
happy not to go and excited at the prospect of being looked after by
Sonya. I remember that first day seeing her curled up like a cat,
reading on the sofa and my brother and I madly chasing round the
house like a pair of wild dervishes.

Then inevitably disaster struck and a small ornament toppled off the
mantelpiece smashing into several pieces. We were both horrified,
not that our parents would go into paroxysms of rage, it's just
neither of us wanted the fuss. Sonya also seemed very concerned
about it, perhaps she worried that it would reflect badly on her.
Edward, almost tearfully implored her not to tell. At first she was
reluctant but then after a few minutes of our joint pleading she
agreed to keep our secret but there was going to be one important
condition. She would punish us herself! When she said this despite
not knowing what punishment she had in mind I literally squirmed in
ecstasy.

How were we to be punished we asked? She wouldn't say but instead
promised us we would find out before bedtime. I don't know what her
original idea of punishment was. Maybe it was only to send us to bed
early but the more we begged to know the more she laughed and began
to enjoy the situation. Both my brother and I hoped it was a
spanking but we were a little shy of suggesting it. Eventually I
plucked up enough courage to tentatively mention our joint
preference. Sonya smiled knowingly and fondly ruffled my hair. She
would think about it she said.

To say we were on tenterhooks is really an understatement.
Eventually after tea she took pity on us. We were both going to bed
early that was to be our punishment. Our faces fell in
disappointment. However that was not the whole of our punishment.
Yes we both deserved a spanking and would both get a proper
spanking. Now she said severely we were both naughty boys and we
should go straight up to our bedrooms or else not only would we be
spanked very hard but she would take our trousers down as well.

When she threatened to take our trousers down I nearly fainted with
pleasure. Just as we were climbing up the stairs Edward asked if
she really would dare to take our trousers down. Oh yes you silly
boy she replied and not just trousers but underpants as well. Unless
we were very careful we would end up getting a hard punishment on
our bare bottoms like French children get when they are naughty. Now
we were either to get up those stairs quickly or suffer the
consequences. Half way up the stairs I suddenly thought of another
question and bounded back down the stairs. Edward in a fever of
excitement had already fled to his bedroom. Just one more question I
asked, how many smacks were we going to get. She looked grimly at me
as if her patience was wearing thin. We were both going to get
twenty smacks each for breaking the ornament but I was going to get
an extra ten smacks for asking foolish questions she said.

A few minutes later she tiptoed up the stairs and gave us both an
expert spanking. After her threats only a bare bottom spanking would
do of course. If memory serves me right it hurt a lot more than I
expected however the loudest howls were from my brother when he
discovered I was going to get an extra ten smacks. This was
favouritism surely? The poor girl was then coerced into giving a
repeat performance the next night as well. Doubtless this experience
is one of the reasons I've always had a place reserved in my heart
for French girls ever since.