April Fools’
by Bob Smiley
 April Fools’ Day is a holiday
when it’s totally fine to pull
pranks and make up stories. Politicians love this day!
I’ve pulled some great pranks over the years. The best
one was two years ago when I called my dad and told
him I’d gotten a real job! He fell for it instantly and
shouted, “Finally! No more telling jokes for a living!”
Then I told him I was only joking . . . and I was about to
remind him that it was April Fools’ Day, but our phones
got disconnected.
My dad used to pull pranks on me all the time. He once
told me a $50 bill was hidden somewhere under the
leaves that were leftover from the fall, just to get me to
rake. I raked that field for two days before he finally
shouted, “April Fools’!” And when I was in college, Mom
and Dad moved and didn’t tell me. I finally found them
— a month later. I love the Internet!
All that to say, I feel like I know a lot about pranks and
this particular holiday. With that in mind, I’m proud to
offer you . . .
Bob Smiley’s Tips for April
Fools’ Day:
1. Remember it’s the day of tricks, so you don’t
get fooled. I once asked a girl out on April Fools’, and
she said, “Not even if you were the last man on earth!” I
told her that if I was the last man on earth she wouldn’t
even be allowed in line. Of course, I didn’t say this until
a month later when I thought of it. Later I remembered
that it had been April Fools’, and she obviously was
pulling a joke on me. In fact, she did such a great job
that she even threatened to take out a restraining order!
But then she never remembered to tell me she was
joking, which leads us to the next tip.
2. Let people know you pulled an April Fools’ joke or
else it could go on forever. For instance, the president
of Starbucks once jokingly said they were going to call
their smallest cup a “Tall,” the middle size a “Grande”
and the largest cup a “Venti” which, when translated
from Hebrew into Pinkoneese, means “Ha Ha! April
Fools’!” Then he forgot to tell his employees that he was
joking before all the menus were made. And that kind of
thing happens all the time. In fact, that has to be the
only explanation as to how the TV show “Wife Swap”
got on the air.
3. Make sure the prank is not something that’ll hurt
someone. If you’re going to pull a prank, remember that
you’re a Christian first and a prankster second. Before
pulling a prank, ask yourself if you’d mind having it
pulled on you.
Follow these rules, and you’ll have a fun April Fools’
Day! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go outside and
watch my two boys look for a $50 bill!
This article appeared in Brio
magazine April 2005. Copyright © 2005 Bob Smiley. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.
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