The Girl in the Striped Pyjamas

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Up in the room I had been sharing with Peter, three frightened boys awaited their fate. Of course, my first question to my cousin was: “Are we going to get the cane?” It wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear. “Oh yeah, she’ll cane us for sure.”“Will it hurt a lot?”“Just wait and see.” In case he messes up, my adult schoolboy should be punished by me and sent to bed at a very early bedtime. I know this is hard to accept and the adult schoolboy should not perform his fun after school or after work out in the field until the number of days the adult schoolboy is sent to bed early is over, but I will not refrain from that punishment to hand out. I want the adult schoolboy to undress and put on pajamas and go to bed at the stated time somewhere between 5 and 6 pm. That comes down to eating immediately after dinner. Do not read money in bed, do not call, do not use mobile phones online, do not play with toys such as Lego and Playmobil and turn off the lights and curtains.

On Sunday, because I had school the next day, bedtime was very early at 5 pm and Mummy would put me into my pyjamas ready for bed at 3 pm as my aunt and her daughter Janice always came for tea. It was very embarrassing as Janice was only thirteen and I had to kiss her and my aunt night-night before Mummy took me up to bed. When I went into the Living room, my sister nearly choked at seeing me in the diaper. She giggled as I went from person to person, saying goodnight.

A short memoir by one who "made good" after a spell at Approved School. Clearly one of the system's success stories, he gives a fair and rounded picture of the regime, describing "pretty severe" canings and hard work but also trust, respect, sport, culture, useful skills, country walks and even, perhaps surprisingly for the 1940s, good food.

When we entered the room, there was a large double bed for my parents, and a......I couldn't believe it! A white CRIB, covered with pink bunnies and of course, pink nursery printed sheets.

Memes

Canada: prisoners in yard after riot, shortly before ringleaders flogged, 1952 (poor-quality photo) Taiwan: Democratic Progressive Party politicians, campaigning for the introduction of judicial CP, display a whip at press conference, 2007 Unnamed senior high school students being made to uproot trees as punishment, having also been caned, Swaziland, 2005