“Let us be thankful for the fools.
But for them the rest of us could not succeed.” By Mark Twain
Since childhood, April Fool’s Day has always been a day to share the humor in my family. It was from our mother, we, the ten children, inherited the propensity to pull pranks on each other, especially April Fool’s Day. Never did April Fool’s Day go by that Mom didn’t make fools of us children. It could be anything from “Look out the window. It snowed three feet last night,” or to something as simple as, “Your shoe lace isn’t tied.” We always had fun, no matter what the occasion.
Even into adulthood, we the children, especially the six sisters, still loved April Fool’s jokes. The sisters had traditionally celebrated their birthdays together since their children were raised starting in the early 70s. A local paper, in writing our story, “Living to Laugh” stated, “The sisters like nothing better than doing all kinds of foolish things, just for the fun of it.” We’ve been known to dress up for Halloween, wear togas and stump grapes, and arrive in maternity outfits (after 60 years of age). We even had water battles with Mom in her new kitchen. Of course, when our 80-year-old father saw our mess, he scolded, “Children! Clean up this mess now!”
Yet, our father’s chastisement didn’t stop us, especially when April Fool’s came around. My sister, Dorothy, and her husband, were having a party on April 1. My sister, Gladys, and I, were so excited when we received the invite. We had to absolutely concoct a plan for this party, since it actually was on April Fool’s Day.
Here was our plan: At separate intervals, a week before April 1, we, Gladys and I – called Mom and told her we had fallen and broken our arms. We told her we had been to the hospital and both of us had our right arm in a cast. We knew our parents would relate the story to the rest of the family. We wanted it to really seem truthful.
Before Dorothy’s party, each of the sister’s called us and we again related our fall and that our arms were in a cast. They sympathized with us. We got them good. The plan worked exactly as we thought.
The day of the party, Gladys had an old friend – a nurse – help us out. She wrapped our arms in bandages and then concocted ingredients that would harden the bandages, in order to look like a real cast. This nurse assured us the cast would come off easily at the end of the day.
Finally, Gladys and I, one arm in casts, headed for our April Fool’s party. Upon entering Dorothy’s home, we were totally disillusioned to see the remaining sisters. Dorothy had her head bandaged. Anita had her fingers bandaged. Mary Alice had her leg bandaged. Our joke had back-fired in more ways than one.
Soon we tired of our casts and asked for a scissor to cut it off. The scissor wouldn’t cut through the material cast. The make-shift casts hardened more than we expected. Dorothy’s husband had to get some of his tools and pry the darn casts off.
The next day, Gladys and I both received phone calls from Mom. Her and Pop were upset about the ruse we pulled. They not only had told family, but friends as well. After this scolding, we stayed away from Mom and Pop for a time until they forgot what we did.
Even as a grandmother, I couldn’t help myself on April Fool’s Day. My one granddaughter, Rebecca, was about eight years old, when I decided it was time to fool her. This is the letter she received in the mail a few weeks before April Fool’s Day arrived:
CONGRATULATIONS!RebeccaOfAllentown, Pennsylvania
Dear Rebecca,You are a winner! You have been chosen out of 100 children from the Parkland School district, to win a COW. We know you will take very good care of this cow. Now in order to get ready for this cow, you will have to do a few things. The cow will need a shed to live in. The cow will need some hay. The cow will need a bucket of water. Each day, the cow must be fed and watered. We know that you will help do this. By spring time, the cow will need to be able to be out in the yard. We’d suggest you get a fence so the cow will not roam into a neighbor’s yard.
Congratulations again, Rebecca. You can look for your contest prize – the COW – by the first week of April. We know you’ll enjoy the cow very much.
From, The Mr. and Mrs. Foolhardy of Allentown, PA.
On April Fool’s Day, Rebecca received a miniature cow in the mail!
It didn’t take but one year that Rebecca and her sister, Karissa, – in cahoots with Pop Pop – got me in the best April Fool’s joke yet.
Throughout the year, unknown to me, Pop Pop helped them take small items from our house. After I was April fooled, I recalled some episodes with my husband.
I was missing a green, wooden apple that I had in a basket with some red apples. I told my husband, I couldn’t find it. He remarked, “Carole, you keep moving knic knacs around. You never remember where you put them!” Something happened more than once in my home. I’d always shrug it off, I either lost it or misplaced it.
The first day of April arrived. Again, my husband said he’d be leaving the house early, for whatever reason, I can’t recall. Unknown to me at this time, he planned to pick up Rebecca and Karissa, at their mother’s work in Allentown. He then brought the kids to Easton, but they had to go to Dunkin’ Doughnuts for breakfast until I would be at work.
At this time, I was the church secretary. But, my hubby, who did financial work at the church office, also had the key to my office. So, he and the kids got to church 30 minutes before I arrived.
By the time I got to work and unlocked the door, no one was around. On top of my desk was an assortment, of what seemed to be little wrapped gifts. I was bewildered. They must be for me, I thought. I then pulled the chair of my desk out and jumped three feet in the air, when I heard voices from under the desk yell, “April Fool’s!”
Out came my grandkids, giggling. I startled again, as I heard a man’s laughter coming from the pastor’s office, where my hubby had hidden.
Next, my grandchildren insisted I open their gifts on my desk. One by one, I opened all the items, that had been missing, from my house through the year. What some grandchildren won’t do, with a Pop Pop to help, to April Fool a Mom Mom!
I’m now 70. I’m grateful to have had a fun-loving Mom, who taught me, how families can have fun together and not just on April Fool’s Day. I intend to continue to play and make a fool of myself until my dying day.
Carole Christman Koch grew up in Berks County and has been published in numerous publications. She has a passion for writing and has many stories from growing up on a farm to raising children to humorous stories about her and her husband to everyday stories to season stories and more.
