That's an interesting question. The story never really says why Brother is cruel to Doodle. We know that he is embarrassed by Doodle's inability to perform physically. We also know that his Brother's pride caused him to push Doodle beyond his limits.
But why this particular act of cruelty. It seems unlikely that it will encourage Doodle to work harder. Perhaps it will by making him determined to prove everyone wrong about his weaknesses. But the more likely reason for Brother's cruelty is simply that sometimes siblings are cruel. There is a German term, schadenfreude, that is used to describe the pleasure someone derives from the suffering of others. I'd say Brother got a little thrill at making Doodle suffer. Many brothers and sisters are mean to each other, and Brother is no exception. I don't believe, however, that he would ever mean to do Doodle any real harm, just scare him.
Take a look at the link below for more information on the themes of the story. The information on the theme of Brotherhood might prove helpful.
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