Boy

The following text is about Roald Dahl's

childhood at a private boarding school. He does
not have very fond memories of his
schooldays.
The scene is from St Peter's School where Roald
Dahl was between the age of 9 and ! 3. The episode
takes place at Prep - an hour in the early evening
when the boys had to do "homework" in a large
room where one of the teachers, or masters,
looked after them.

The rules of Prep were simple but strict . You were forbidden to
look up from your work, and you were forbidden to talk. That was all
there was to it. In extreme circumstances, and I never knew what these
were, you could put your hand up and wait until you were asked to
speak but you had better be awfully sure that the circumstances were
extreme. Only twice during my four years at St Peters did I see a boy
putting up his hand during Prep. The first one went like this:

MASTER: What is it?

BOY: Please, sir, may I be excused to go to the lavatory?
MASTER: Certainly not. You should have gone before.
BOY: But sir... please sir... I didn't want to before... I didn't know,,.
MASTER: "Whose fault was that? Get on with your work!
BOY: But sir ... Oh sir... Please sir, let me go!
MASTER: One more word out of you and you'll be in trouble.
 Naturally, the wretched boy dirtied his pants, which caused a storm
later on upstairs with the Matron.
On the second occasion, I remember clearly that it was a summer
term and the boy who put his hand up was called Braithwaite. I also
seem to recollect that the Master taking Prep was our friend Captain
Hardcastle, but I wouldn't swear to it. The dialogue went on
something like this:

MASTER: Yes, what is it? hear you! A what

BRAITHWAITE: Please sir, a wasp came in through the
came in through the window window?
and it's stung me on my lip BRAITHWAITE: Its hard to speak
and its swelling up. up, sir, with my lip all swelling
Master: A what? up.
MASTER: With your what all
swelling up? Are you trying to
be funny?
BRAITHWAITE: No sir, I promise
I'm not sir.
MASTER: Talk properly, boy!
What's the matter with
you?
BRAITHWAITE: I've told you,
sir. I've been stung, sir.
My lip is swelling. Its
hurting terribly.
MASTER: Hurting
terribly! What's
hurting terribly?
BRAITHWAITE: My lip, sir. Its
getting bigger and bigger.
MASTER: What Prep are you
doing tonight?
BRAITHWAITE: French verbs,
BRAITHWAITE.- A WASP, sir. We have to write them
SIR. out.
MASTER: Speak MASTER: Do you write with your
up, boy, I cant lip?

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BRAITHWAITE: No, sir, 1 don't They were tough, those masters,
sir, but you see... make
MASTER: All I see is that you are no mistake about it, and if you
making an infernal noise and wanted
disturbing everybody in the to survive, you had to become
room. Now get on with your pretty
work. tough yourself.