Whipping Boy

There was a story in an EC comic in the '50s about a boy who was chosen as a whipping boy for the prince of his kingdom. The boy was taken to the palace, and every time the prince misbehaved, he was whipped in the prince's place. I don't remember all the details, but I think a cane may have been used on the boy. Anyway, I'm trying to remember the title and issue of the comic in which this appeared. I'm pretty sure it was one of their horror comics. I believe i can find out eventually, but haven't been able to yet. Is anyone reading this familiar with this story?

Wheatwine, it's called The Whipping Boy. There is a book out by the same title about a boy who lived on the streets and becomes a boarder in the castle. He takes the punishment for the brat prince whenever he misbehaves.

http://www.amazon.com/Whipping-Boy-Sid-Fleischman/dp/0060521228

The concept is of course much older. Mark Twain included a whipping boy in _The Prince and the Pauper_, and it wasn't an innovation then. I wrote a story "The Whipping Girl" for the 2006 SSC, and I have just sent it in to the Library for posting. Look for it soon.

Ah, I will, Don. Sounds great.

In Tony Robinson's show about unusual historical jobs he auditioned for the job of whipping boy in one episode. I'm not sure if that was the same one where he also applied to become an 18th century hermit in someone's garden or not. He also applied to be a fighting 'woman', too.

The other aspect of this was that the whipping boy wasn't just some urchin grabbed off the street. He was more likely to be middle class at least and the idea was that he would be a playmate to the prince. They would bond, be best friends. Then the day would come when it was announced that if the prince didn't do his lessons etc., it would be his best friend who would suffer and--- he had to watch. The lesson was that if you were to be the king, if you made mistakes, other people would suffer.
I used this Macguffin in The Legend of Sophia the Fair.

George Martin references a whipping boy in A Feast for Crows, too. I think the practice continued into the 19th century.

Ah, since it is open season on self plugging may I recommend "When I was a Lad" where the protagonist starts off as the whipping boy and progresses to being "The Spanker of the Queen's Botty"

Sounds like Gilbert and Sullivan--"I dusted all the rods so carefully that now I am the Spanker of the Queen's Bot-ty".

The story i mentioned above: "The Whipping Girl" has now been loaded to the library and seems not unpopular. The idea does have a certain attraction.