Novelty and Challenge

Friday morning, Ethan had told the children to join him directly after school at the new house, he had shown them the way by walking there the day before.

The day was endless for the children, they were in a hurry! So much so that Mrs. Dodd had to scold Joseph twice and Ben three times. Even Claire and George normally calm, had been reprimanded for their lack of attention. In the end Mrs. Dodd, losing patience, had given a note to take home for their father.

"Do you think Papa is going to be angry?" asked Ben.

"He is not going to be happy." replied Claire.

"The best thing is to give it to him immediately and take the punishment." said Joseph.

"I don't want a spanking!" George whined.

"It was such a beautiful day!" Ben sighed.

"Pa will decide, I hope he doesn't spank us too, George! And I agree with Joseph, we have to tell him right away, He likes honesty." Said Claire

The cart in front of the house was filled with their personal belongings, which will have to be unloaded.

Ethan watched the arrival of his children.

"How was your day? He asked.

"Not great," replied Joseph, "give him the note, Claire. Let's get it over with."

Claire gave the note to Ethan.

"I see now, why you say the day was not great." he said, unfolding the paper.

Ethan read the note and watched his four children admire their shoes.

"Look at me." he ordered sternly.

"I understand that you are excited about the new home, but I want you to pay attention in class! Mrs. Dodd is there to teach you all and you will have the respect to listen! Am I clear?"

"Yes sir." they said.

"Are we going to be spanked?" Asked George.

Ethan sighed.

"No George. I understand that changing houses is exciting for all of you. The house will not fly away, it will always be here after school! You will all go to bed at the same time as Tess this weekend. I hope going to bed early will help you focus in class. If I have another note about not paying attention, I will be more severe. Do you hear me?"

"Yes Pa." said Claire, Ben and George echoing her, happy to get by easily.

"Pa! No! Go to bed at the same time as Tess? She's a baby!" Replied Joseph.

"If you prefer a spanking, you can go and wait for me in the barn! The choice is yours!" Ethan growled, angry that Joseph had answered back each time he had recently given an order. This challenging behavior must stop!

"No, I don't want to be spanked."

"Be glad I don't order your bedtime early all week Joseph! You're going to do the chore of the dishes tonight. You do not challenge my authority by arguing a punishment!"

"Yes Pa."

"Well, that's better, don't test me son, you won't like my answer, I promise you! Come on, I'll show you what you're going to do."

Ethan had already repaired the bottom floor of the house. He had cleaned, sanded and varnished the kitchen furniture and the shelves, stove and floor had been washed. Their table had been extended by an addition on the side, sanded and varnished. He could not see the difference! The six chairs were placed side by side while a wooden bench was placed on the other side against the wall and another chair at each end. The table now contained a dozen seats, the fireplace had also been cleaned, the carpet and the chair were already in the room.

"Wow, Pa! Did you do this all by yourself in one day?" Exclaims Claire.

"No Claire, not alone, I have friends who helped! Come with me. I'll show you more."

He headed for the only large bedroom downstairs. There were two bunk beds along the wall on one side of the room, Ethan's bed opposite and another single bed to the right of the door. There was also a desk under the window and their five-drawer chest that completed the bedroom.

A man was finishing the installation. Tess next to him. He turned around on hearing the children.

"Dakota, here are my older children; Claire, Joseph, Ben and George."

"Children, I present to you my friend Dakota. He is Carry's father and is going to be my deputy sheriff. You will give him total obedience. Let it be clear, he has every right to punish you, like Amelia, if I'm not there and he sees fit."

"Yes Pa, hello sir." They said.

"Hello children, nice to meet you, finally."

"The beds look like those on the train!" George exclaimed.

"You're right George, I thought we would save space like this. I drew the plans for the train beds. That's where the idea came from but Dakota built them. He has been working on them since our arrival in Paradise. He is a very good carpenter and is skilled with his hands, like you Joseph."

"Joseph and Ben, you will be in the upper bunks." George and Tess will take the lower ones. Tess's bed is the one with the rail. Claire, the single bed is for you. I'm going to put a curtain to separate you from the boys so that you can change your clothes. It will almost make you a separate mini bedroom."

"Thank you, Pa. We will love this room, right boys?"

"Yes, it is terrific!" Joseph agrees.

"It's temporary, as soon as we have repaired the next floor, all your rooms will be upstairs. I will keep this large room. But for now, look at me, the floors above are forbidden!

The floors themselves are not safe, not secure, you could be injured! if I catch one of you disobeying me, it's an immediate spanking on the spot, in front of everyone, no matter who is here at the home. Am I clear?"

Ethan really wanted his children to obey on this point.

"Yes Pa. This place is huge, we have never had such a big house!" Said Ben.

"Yes, it's too good to be true! Something is going to ... .."

"Claire!" Ethan warned. "If you don't want to be punished, you're not going to finish that sentence."

"Yes Papa."

"Well, as I know you and I know that you will not resist the temptation to visit, I will show you the upper floors. Only once! Stay right by my side."

"Yes Pa!" They said with enthusiasm! They felt like they were having a great adventure! Exploring unknown lands and remote villages!

Ethan showed them the five large bedrooms, all to be redone, as well as the attic top floor. "I have not yet decided how I will allocate the rooms, I will think about it when the time comes. Back downstairs, Ethan reminds the children. "You will no longer climb these stairs until I give permission. You have now seen everything there is to see."

"Yes Pa! It's huge!" Joseph answered for everyone.

"Boys, you unload the rest of the cart please, there are only small things left. Claire? Do you want to tidy up the kitchen with everything I put on the table?"

"Yessir."

"Tess, you can go with whomever you want as long as you are accompanied. Do not leave the house but you no longer have to stay with us in the room."

"Yes Papa!"

"I'm going to take her with me for now. Will you come to help me Tess?" Asked Claire.

After a while, Tess came to see Ethan.

"Papa? Can I go to the wagon to see Joseph?"

"It's great to come and ask my permission Tess. I'm so proud of you!"

Yes, I will trust you, you can go, you stay right with Joseph."

"I will Pa!"

By evening, they had all worked well! The living room, kitchen and bedroom were finished and tidy. Each child had stored his or her things in the chest of drawers and each had made their bed.

In the evening, Ethan had lit a fire to grill outside for the delight of the children. The stars were shining, it was extraordinary night.

"Why has Aunt Amelia not come over yet?" Asked Claire.

"She had to work, she will come tomorrow morning to help us. I think we will attack the outside. With lots of hands to help, it should go quickly."

After Joseph had finished washing the dishes, Ethan sent everyone to bed. They were being punished.

Ethan gave each child a kiss and a hug, wishing them a good night and reminding them of how much he loved them.

Returning to sit on a tree stump by the fire slowly extinguishing, Ethan took advantage of the calm time, alone. He found himself thinking about Amelia, he had really missed her. He had missed her discussions, her laughter, she was different from other women, fragile, gentle but strong at the same time. His feelings for her had changed.

Thinking of his deceased friend he says, "James, I would never have looked at Amelia that way, if you had been here. I'm going to have to tell her about my feelings, I saw her looking at me several times…"

Suddenly, the sound of a crushed twig startled the man, causing him to draw his weapon by reflex.

"Who's here? I'm armed! You're on private property!" Informed Ethan.

"It's just me, Pa." He hears before he can see the person.

"Joseph? What are you doing out here? Is anyone sick?" He asked, putting away his gun.

"No, I ... I was not sleepy, I went for a walk."

"Did you go out the window? I did not see you use the door. Were you not to be in bed?" Ethan asked.

"Yes sir."

Ethan felt his mood skyrocket! He was angry! He crossed his arms over his chest to be sure not to punish Joseph with anger.

"Look at me! Are you telling me that you disobeyed me again today? After I punished you by sending you to bed early this weekend and punished you again with the chore of washing up tonight? You narrowly avoided getting a spanking twice since this morning! Answer me! Joseph, you are clearly asking me to spank you!"

"I am sorry."

"Sorry to be caught, most likely!" Ethan replied.

"Sorry, is not enough Joseph! Going out the window while you are being punished and the drop from it, you could have been injured!"

"Injured? In front of the house? Are you exaggerating? That window is not that high!" Replied the child, once again answering back.

"Anything is possible, the fact is that you disobeyed me and now answered back! The idea of a spanking is obviously no longer a problem for you! ... perhaps facing the corner!" Ethan snapped .

Making a decision he commands "You put your nose against this tree and you don't move!"

"What? The corner? It's for babies!"

"Now Joseph!" Ethan raised his voice.

The man wanted above all to calm down, he was so angry! He also had to think about how to punish this child. To leave an impression, the previous spanking hadn't impressed him to obey as much as he thought. It seemed he must make it harder but not excessive, ten years of age, almost eleven was still small. Should he use the belt? Yes, but in moderation. Ethan decided having calmed while thinking.

Ethan sitting on the stump on which he had eaten, calls to the child.

"Come here, Joseph" The boy came to stand before him.

"Look at me, this disobedience ends now! When I punish you, when I tell you to do something, like going to bed early, you will obey me!" Ethan got up, the child had his eyes on his belt, so much the better, maybe he would be impressed! Ethan unbuckled his belt and passed it gently through the buckles of his pants.

Joseph's eyes widened, "Pa! Not your belt, please! I won't disobey you anymore!"

"I'll make sure son! I think you need it! It is not the first time that you disobeyed me and disrespected me, neither today nor before, I have had enough!"

With that, Ethan sat down, unbuttoned Joseph's pants, pushing them to the ankles, revealing his nightgown underneath without surprise. Ethan put the child face down on his lap, rolling up his nightgown to reveal his bare behind. Placing his left hand holding his belt on the child's back, he raised his right hand.

To Joseph's surprise, it was not the belt he felt, but a big, hard and strong hand, which fell again and again, in the middle, right, right, left, left, left, middle.

"Sorry! Ow! Papa please! Ow!" Joseph shouted and cried!

After eight good smacks, Ethan replaced the nightgown, leaving the pants at the ankles and retrieving the belt in his right hand, folding it in half, he secured the buckle in his hand.

"NO MORE DISOBEDIENCE, JOSEPH!" Ethan lowered the belt quickly, slapping it against his son's barely covered butt, but not using too much force. The child cried and yelled anyway, however.

"YOU WILL DO WHAT I TELL YOU, WHEN I TELL YOU, WITHOUT ANSWERING BACK!" Ethan administered a second strike with as much effect as the first.

"WHEN I PUNISH YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO OBEY ME! IF I TELL YOU TO GO TO SLEEP, YOU WON'T GO OUT THE WINDOW DISOBEYING ME!"

Ethan pulled up the nightgown, he wanted to see if it had been too hard. He saw a well punished behind, very red but nothing more. He lowered the belt a third and last time on Joseph's little behind, making him cry out and then stopped. He let him calm down still over his knees.

Joseph was an emotional mess. Sobbing and sniffling. Ethan had been hard, but he hoped the child would obey for a while and the fear of being punished would keep him in line.

Ethan took off his son's pants. "Stay in your nightgown, you're going to go back to bed. This time you will stay there!" He lifted the boy to sit on his lap. Joseph snuggled against his chest, crying. Ethan surrounded the child in a bear hug with his arms.

"I was severe with you Joseph, but you deserved it! I love you and I don't want you to disobey me like that. I don't like doing this but if you show me defiance, a spanking will be my answer, every time!"

"Yes Papa, I beg your pardon."

"I forgive you, you know I love you. I want you to become a good, honest and generous man who keeps his word."

"Your belt hurts Papa!"

"I know. However, I promise you that I will take it easy! A real belt stroke with momentum hurts much, much more! Tonight you will sleep on your stomach, but tomorrow you will hardly feel it. You are still being punished, you will go to bed early and you are also on restriction the rest of this week. You go nowhere except school and you don't leave the yard. I'm being severe but I'm done with your behavior! Understand me?"

In fact, Ethan wouldn't tell Joseph this as he wanted to "punish" him, but it didn't make much difference. All the children had to come home right after school to help anyway.

"Yes sir," Joseph snuggled against his father again, hugging him tightly around his middle with his head on Ethan's chest. Ethan hugged him again.

With the fire going out, Ethan accompanied Joseph to his bed with a last hug and kiss, closing the window. All of the other children slept soundly.

Exhausted, Ethan also went to bed. It had been a long time since he had slept in his big bed!

Her last thought was for Amelia.