[Venessa Ann Schwarz Posts: 76 Status: Offline I write for chocolate! WWW]

Ahhhhhhh!!! Ha! Ha! You guys. Too funny. 

Great thread, Sharon!!

[EricJ Posts: 47 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

Most of the "classic" pranks are a bit pointless, and not really sympathetic with the reader.   
(In HS/college, I never could understand the point of the "Fake pizza order", if he had an extra twenty, and he ended up with the pizza and you didn't.)

Something harmless that would get a kid in trouble would be something making fun of a favorite common comic target, like a hated teacher's nickname:
I remember hearing the story of one teacher who was referred to as "Batman" because of the thick black coat he always took off of class in winter, and arrived one day to find a yellow-and-black Bat-signal on the blackboard.       

[Barbara Etlin Posts: 2,234 Status: Offline WWW]

I'm reviving this thread for my own evil purposes... 

I need to establish my main character as being flighty and  irresponsible in the first half of my WIP so that, when he saves the day during the climax, it surprises the reader. I need some pranks he can play on the antagonist. But the setting is a medieval ship on the ocean in the 1400s. I can use the mouse in a boot prank, but I need one or two others that don't contain anachronisms. Tea and coffee haven't been discovered yet. (Or Batman.)

[carrots Posts: 551 Status: Offline]

Ooooh, I love the medieval period, Barbara!!

Instead of being tarred and feathered, how about honeyed and feathered?

And with a mouse in one boot, how about a wet sponge in the other?

Could he put something on the lens of the antagonist's spyglass so he thinks he's seeing something (land, mermaids, sea monster, two moons, etc.)?

Will bring this up at the dinner table as a challenge for my children (to think of, not perform!!)!!

[Barbara Etlin Posts: 2,234 Status: Offline WWW]

Thanks, carrots! 

[Debbie Vilardi Posts: 6,211 Status: Offline Language is so cool! WWW]

He could still move things around while someone is sleeping. Perhaps use smoke to make someone think there's a fire.
 
Frankly, I think Carrots had better ideas, but these may do.

[Barbara Etlin Posts: 2,234 Status: Offline WWW]

Thanks, Debbie. You both got me thinking productively. I think there's something I can use from each of you. 

[carrots Posts: 551 Status: Offline]

You're so welcome, Barbara!

My children want to chime in with their thoughts.

Teen son: the old bucket over the door trick (but maybe containing something other than water...)

Tween daughter: a fish (rotten?) in someone's bunk

(And your ideas are brilliant, Debbie!!! The smoke would create so much havoc, while not actually harming anyone or anything.)

[Barbara Etlin Posts: 2,234 Status: Offline WWW]

carrots, your kids' ideas are awesome!!! Please thank them for me. I can definitely work with those.

     :write5