Pranks R Us

The Pony is itching for a prank. He has the same 5th grade teacher that the #1 son had, and the #1 son played a world-class prank on Mr. Teacher. In fact, Mr. Teacher challenges the kids all year. "I am unprankable. Just try it. Nobody can prank me." The #1 son did.

#1 was very much into computers. He had his own scanner, and two monitors set up to his desktop, wrote his own programs, and fancied himself to be the next Bill Gates. That was before he discovered girls and phones. They're his new love. But getting back to the prank... The #1 son knew that Mr. Teacher loved his fake wrestling. I don't know much about wrestling, whether it was WWF or whatever name they go by. But Mr. Teacher would get pay-per-view for the big matches, and watch it with his cousin. In fact, he got DISH Network just so he could order these matches. Mr. Teacher complained at one of the district-wide meetings that he had paid for a wrestling event, then his power went out the day of the event, due to a storm. Mr. Teacher called DISH, asking to transfer his paid event to the home of a friend who also had DISH. When the DISH people said that he couldn't do that, and that he couldn't get a refund, Mr. Teacher had a few choice words for the DISH people. The Hillbilly family also has DISH Network. Therein lay the basis for the prank.

I was commenting on some letter that DISH had sent us, something about when we added two new receiver thingies for the basement big-screen and #1's room. I knew #1 was looking for a prank. I said, "When I worked for the state, my carpool buddy took one of their letters and scanned the letterhead and made a fake memo. It was hilarious." #1 said, "I have the perfect idea to prank Mr. Teacher. I'm going to scan that DISH letterhead, and send him a letter that his DISH service is being cut off because he complained."

The letter looked authentic. It regretfully informed Mr. Teacher that his service with DISH Network was being terminated because of his verbal abuse of DISH employees. Because we didn't have a window envelope to make it look official, #1 gave it to the teacher next door to Mr. Teacher, who also happened to live on his rural road. She took it to him one morning just before the bell. "Here. I got this at home and opened it by mistake. It got put in my mailbox." The mail mix-up had happened before, so it didn't clue him in. He read the letter and got very upset. He sent the letter with #1 and a crony down the hall and around the corner to his wife's classroom. They tipped her off. She called Mr. Teacher and berated him for causing them to lose their TV service. Mr. Teacher's chagrin lasted until lunch, when the kids told him it was a fake letter. He was relieved.

The Pony is not so technologically advanced. He wants to get a picture of our dog and cat, and put one's head on the other's body. And he also wants an egg tree. #1 is going to photoshop it for him. The Pony will be satisfied.

We already have an excellent idea to prank Mr. Teacher's cousin next year, when The Pony has him in 6th grade.