 
i don"t mind staying after school," i says to professor herbert, "but i"d 
rather you"d whip me with a switch and let me go home early. 
pa will whip me anyway for getting home two hours late." 
"you are too big to whip," says professor herbert, "and i have to punish 
you for climbing up in that cherry tree. 
you boys knew better than that! 
the other five boys have paid their dollar each. 
you have been the only one who has not helped pay for the tree. 
can"t you borrow a dollar?" 
"i can"t," i says. 
"i"ll have to take the punishment. 
i wish it would be quicker punishment. 
i wouldn"t mind." 
professor herbert stood and looked at me. 
he was a big man. 
he wore a gray suit of clothes. 
the suit matched his gray hair. 
"you don"t know my father," i says to professor herbert. 
"he might be called a little old-fashioned. 
he makes us mind him until we"re twenty-one years old. 
he believes: if you spare the rod you spoil the child. 
i"ll never be able to make him understand about the cherry tree. 
i"m the first of my people to go to high school." 
"you must take the punishment," says professor herbert. 
"you must stay two hours after school today and two hours after school 
tomorrow. 
i am allowing you twenty-five cents an hour. 
that is good money for a high-school student. 
you can sweep the schoolhouse floor, wash the blackboards, and clean 
windows. 
i"ll pay the dollar for you." 
