I was a boy of seventeen, ungainly dull and tall, as green as any gouslin, but I thoughT I knowed it all. I went to school and Annis, and chopped up wood and choured for Thomas Wilksin to pay him for my board. One day Phillis Phinney another boy at school, about as rough and raw as I, about as big a fool. Just hinted in a private way t'would be a right smart feller and give us lots of glory, if we'd up and lick the teacher.
Now the teacher he was sickly and not as big as I. I knew that we could down him, if we didn't half but try. We told the boys at recess the plot that we had planned. They said if we couldn't down him, they'd lend a helpin hand. We'd have a long vacation, and a whooper of a time, while big Phillis Phinney was tickled as could be to think they thought a sap like that, could lick a chap like he. If I'd kick the bucket over, he'd make the teacher dance, He'd flop him in the water and mop it up with his pants. We heard the school bell ringing, we scrambled in pell mell.
I ran against the water pail, on purpose and I fell. I stuck upon a sick of wood and badly raked my shin, the water splashed upon me and we me to the skin. Why that scrawney lookin teacher he bounded from his chair, he took me by the trousers and he held me in the air. Then around and around he whiled me like a top, and when I'd seen most a thousand stars he suddenly let me drop. He took me and he shook me till I though that I should die, then he swatted me with a ruler till my pants was almost dry! While all the other fightin boys with white and frightened looks, sat shaking in their very boots, and wrestlin with their books. And oh how hard the studied, not a feller spoke or stirred. They didn't dare to whisper or to say a single word.
While big Phillis Phinney was just to scared to laugh, he let that teacher thrash me till I bellered like a calf. Where is that scrawney lookin teacher who gave me such a scare? Well he's not so peaked lookin and he's sittin over there. And tho he's nearly 70 and sickly yet I vow, I'd hate to let him get his hands on me now. But he taught me on great lesson by that floggin in his school.
THAT A BRAGGART AND A BULLY IS A COWARD AND A FOOL!
