Mama Kat Thursday: Legend of the Paddling Machine

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Today's Mama Kat prompt to share about, "a time I was sent to the Principals Office."

Frankly, I wasn't the sort of child that ever did anything required me being sent Principal's Office. But I do recall in first grade 
having some highly imaginative classmates who instilled an abject fear in me about anyone getting sent to the "Principal's Office."
They swore up and down that the Principal had a "paddling machine" hidden in his office, a machine with multiple arms, each loaded with a wooden paddle. 
I was too naive not to believe every tall tale these girls spun and the very prospect of being sent to the "THE Principals Office" now terrified me.
Later, when I was in 5th and 6th grade, the Principal's office also became the "school library" and I often went there to check out a book. They had a long wooden shelf unit along one wall loaded with books we could sign-out, including the whole hard-back Black Stallion series by Walter Farley.
I never forgot that "paddling machine," story, though. I'm pretty sure I gave the office a good looking-over the first time I went there to use the library. It was just a small room with a window, a large desk, filing cabinets, a chair or two and that shelf of library books.
There was clearly no room int there for a hidden anything.
Still, the "Legend of the Paddling Machine" lives on as one of my more significant grade-school memories.
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For another wild tale those girls told gullible me I totally believed, you'll enjoy "The Case of The Invisible Boy."

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So, has anyone ever told you a tall tale?

Thanks for Visiting!
The Kermit gif is from giphy.com

Comments

John Holton said…
At the bottom of this post are some pictures of what they threatened you with...

http://loonpond.blogspot.com/2014/07/yarooh-garoooah-roared-poodle.html
Sep 28, 2017, 4:57:00 PM
Unknown said…
LOL! My elementary school principal's office had a wooden paddle hung on the wall. I never saw it off the hook, and I suspect no one else did, either. But just a tad bit of fear never did any kid any harm!
Sep 28, 2017, 6:46:00 PM
Anonymous said…
The paddling machine, lol. Our principal did have a paddle and I know it was used. I was raised in the south in the 70's. I never saw it. I was the obedient child. The only time I ever really remember being scolded in school was in 1st grade for swinging on some railing around the sidewalk back to class after lunch.
Sep 29, 2017, 9:44:00 AM
KatBouska said…
Whatever it takes to keep you out of that principal's office I suppose! ;)
Oct 3, 2017, 12:13:00 AM

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