Leela's New Dress

                        One morning, Antoine decided that he had grown tired of watching Leela walk around in those ratty clothes of hers. Granted, finding human-sized clothing had proved a challenge, but her garments had started to cause a bit of embarrassment whenever they went out, especially to the Market Place, where both Antoine and Freda both caught disapproving glances from the locals.

Fancying himself a tailor, or at least somewhat handy with a needle and thread, Antoine sat it upon himself to make Leela some new clothes. Rummaging through his small stockpile of material, looking for something feminine, he happened across some pink cotton material covered with pink flowers with just enough to sew a dress. Antoine felt relieved. He had heard that female humans liked both the color pink and dresses; so this should work just fine. Gathering the material under his arm and feeling eager to get started, the badger strode over to his dusty sewing box in the corner to begin his work. 

Two days later, Leela's new dress was finished. Proud and excited, Antoine sought out Leela, finding her in the living room with Freda.

"Here you are," announced Antoine, holding the dress up to her. "I made this just for you."

Leela loved gifts, but as she looked at the dress in Antoine's paws her heart sank. The dress, covered in pink flowers on a pink background, had thick shoulder straps and fit way below the knee. It looked like something for a two-year old.

Encouraged from Leela's, no doubt joyful, silence, Antoine's smile grew even broader. "Isn't the pink just lovely?" Antoine asked. 

"It sure is!" Freda answered, having caught Leela's downhearted expression.  She hoped the girl remembered her manners.

"It looks like a little girl's dress!" Leela pointed out.

Freda sighed as she covered her eyes with a paw. 

Antoine looked at the dress, feeling a little hurt. "How?" he asked. "I measured your clothes when I did the laundry. It should fit perfectly."

"I don't mean like that," Leela replied. "I mean it looks like it's for a child. Like a two-year old. I'm 18! And besides, I hate dresses and I especially hate pink!"

Freda crossed her arms, glaring at Leela. "I'm sure Antoine worked very hard on that dress. The least you can do is try it on."

Leela knew better than to test, much less argue, with Freda. "Fine," said Leela. She grabbed the dress from Antoine, making Freda's fur hackle,  and started walking to her bedroom.

"Where are you going?" asked Antoine.

"To change," Leela replied, not stopping.

"Just change out here will you?" said Freda. "For Spirit's sake. We've already seen just about everything you have. It's faster to just change here. And I want to make sure you've really tried it on."

After completing an eye roll and a sigh, Leela turned around and walked back into the living room. Her face blushed as she stripped off her ratty-green t-shirt and holey-jeans, all the while wishing animals could understand the need for privacy. Leela slipped into the horrendous pink nightmare, looked down at herself and shuddered. In her bare feet, Leela felt like some orphan dressed up for adoption day.

"Oh my," said Antoine, paws clutching his chest. "Why, you look adorable. Much better than those old clothes you've been wearing."

"Yes," Freda nodded. "You look much better."

Leela couldn't take the humiliation any longer. "No, I don't!" she cried, her face red in shame. She climbed out of the dress and threw it halfway across the room. She bent to pick up her t-shirt, but Freda came out of nowhere to snatch it away. Leela to cross her arms in front of her in a sad attempt to hide her nudity. "Hey!" she cried. "Gimme my shirt!"

"I know you humans feel embarrassed when you don't wear clothes," growled Freda. "So you are going to wear this dress Antoine made for you or nothing at all!"

"No!" shouted Leela.

The dress laid over on the floor like discarded like trash. Freda pointed at it with a long, black claw. "Put it on," she ordered.

Not wanting to see Leela in trouble, Antoine piped in, "Freda, if she really doesn't want to wear it..."

"No!" Freda barked. "You spent your time making that dress and by Spirit she's going to wear it!"

"No, I'm not!" Leela spat.

Freda gave a genuine growl. She swept Leela up under her furry arm and carried her towards the sofa.

Knowing that Antoine could see her bare butt and probably a bit more, Leela's face blushed bright red. She kicked and fought in a futile attempt to get free from Freda's strong grasp. "Stop! Put me down!" she cried.

Freda plopped down on the sofa. "Oh, I'll set you down all right!" she answered, throwing Leela over her lap with ease. "I'm going to do what humans do when their cubs act like spoiled brats!" In an instant, Freda started wailing on Leela's soft, bare bottom, raising her huge paw high in the air to deliver the most impact.

Leela howled and screeched in pain. Freda's huge paw pad covered her entire bottom like a paddle, with each swift swat burning like fire. Leela made a desperate attempt to cover her bottom, to protect it from the bear's angry wrath, but Freda merely caught her hands. She held them out of the way with one paw and continued the spanking with the other, ignoring Leela's pitiful wailing.

Antoine winced as he watched the punishment. He never understood why humans physically punished their cubs like this. It seemed so barbaric, but it did seem to work, on Leela anyway. Antoine went over to the dress and picked it up from the floor, brushing it off a little while Leela's screams continued to ring in his ears.

Freda suddenly stopped the punishment. "Now. Are you going to wear that dress Antoine made or shall I spank you some more."

"I'll wear it! I'll wear it!" Leela sobbed.

Freda hauled Leela from her lap and pushed her towards Antoine, the girl's bottom blotched a bright red. "Then you go put it on right this minute!" Freda ordered.

Antoine handed her the dress, a sympathetic look covered the badger's face.

"Don't you think you owe him an apology?" Freda said, the hint stern.

"I'm sorry, Antoine," Leela said meekly, wiping away tears with the back of her hand. "It is a lovely dress. I...I guess I could get used to wearing it."

Antoine smiled. "I just wish you'd wear it willingly, without having to be spanked."

"I know," said Leela. "It's just that, in my world, this particular type of dress is for a child. And pink is...not my favorite color. But Freda's right, I shouldn't have made a fuss. I really am sorry, Antoine."

Antoine smiled. "That's okay. I suppose if you didn't fuss then you wouldn't be human."

                                                                                          THE END