BEXHILL SCHOOL

People think that levitation is some kind of conjuring trick, so I was surprised when I found I was capable of producing this illusion with just one smart rap of the Senior cane across Maisie's backside. 

She was up in front of me for repeated careless work (something we do not tolerate at Bexhill School). Normally, a first offence of this kind would have merited the tawse rather than the cane, but her supercilious attitude so annoyed me that I decided on the rattan (and a Senior at that) to wipe the smirk off her face. It was the first time she'd received anything more than a whacking with Stinger, my trusty and much-feared hairbrush, and I think she was taken by surprise at the excruciating line of fire which a hefty stroke to the lower quadrant of a well-presented bottom can ignite.

Suffice to say that her aerobatics continued throughout all six strokes of the punishment, which obliged me eventually to produce the tawse after all, and give her another half-dozen swats for refusing to take her caning with even a shred of dignity. That proved most effective in removing the smile from her face and I shall expect a considerable all-round improvement in Maisie's attitude from now on. She has been warned.