The Punishment

This story took place nearly fifty years ago at a certain school, where arithmetic was taught by Reverend Arulswamy, a well-known and beloved teacher. He cared deeply for his students, and they, in turn, held a great affection for him.

One day, the teacher dictated an arithmetic question to his students and instructed, “Bring your answers tomorrow.”

The following day, Reverend Arulswamy called the students one by one to examine their answers. To his dismay, he discovered that only one student had failed to respond to the question.

“Did the question prove too difficult for you?” the teacher asked. “No,” replied the student defiantly. “You simply didn’t find time to devote to it, I suppose!” observed the teacher. “I just did not care to do it!” the student retorted, brimming with arrogance.

An awkward silence enveloped the classroom. Reverend Arulswamy looked at the class monitor and instructed him to fetch a cane from the headmaster’s room. When the cane arrived, the teacher approached the defiant student, who stood with a sneer, seemingly unafraid of the impending punishment.

“Woe is me for failing to kindle an interest in you for arithmetic. I deserve to be punished for your apathy,” the teacher lamented, placing the cane into the boy’s hand. “Apply it on me.”

In that moment, the boy broke into tears, and the encounter marked a turning point; he was never the same again.