Pranklopedia
Page 11
A NEW CROP OF HOAXES
One of the largest crop circles ever found.
One of the longest-running extraterrestrial hoaxes in history started in the late 1970s when a weird “sign” appeared in a field in England. Stalks of corn had been flattened to the ground to form a huge, perfect circle. A few years later, more circles appeared in a wheat field, and this time reporters rushed to the scene, followed by hundreds of tourists. Everyone wanted to know what had produced the mysterious pattern. Was it air currents? Was it crazed animals running in a circle during mating season? Or was it a prankster—and if so, why were there no footprints or other signs of human involvement? Maybe it was a landing site for an alien spaceship?
Over the next decade, hundreds of other crop circles appeared in fields, mostly in England, but also in other parts of the world. People known as “cerealogists” became obsessed with the circles. Most believed they were coded messages left by creatures from another planet. In 1991, two creatures from Earth named Doug Bower and Dave Chorley confessed that they had created most of the crop circles as a hoax. They wanted to fool people into thinking that UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) had landed on Earth. Their method was simple: They used wooden planks and a string to flatten crops at night when no one could see them. What about the circles that the two pranksters did not make? Chances are that copycat pranksters created them—although no one knows for sure.
ALIEN FROM THIS PLANET?
On March 31, 1989, motorists in West Sussex County, England, were astonished to see a giant, saucer-shaped spaceship land in a field. Some were so frightened they drove to a phone to call the police. When the police arrived and started walking toward the glowing vehicle, a door opened in the bottom of the craft and a little alien in a silver spacesuit stepped out. The officer closest to the “alien” ship took one look and ran away. It turned out there was nothing to fear. The tiny alien was a man hired by Richard Branson, the billionaire owner of Virgin Atlantic airline. Branson, who loved pranks and hot-air ballooning, had engineered the stunt for April Fools’ Day. He had had a hot-air balloon built to look like an alien spaceship. His original plan was to land in a park in London, but the wind blew him down in the field a day early.
Richard Branson with his daughter and the “spaceship.”
the prank
Take this disgusting-looking old sandwich to school and fool your friends into thinking you’ve lost your mind by calmly biting into it. Or serve it to yourself at home during a family lunch.
WARNING
THIS PRANK SANDWICH IS PERFECTLY SAFE, BUT REAL MOLD CAN MAKE YOU VERY ILL. SO NEVER, EVER EAT ANYTHING THAT HAS REAL MOLD ON IT.
what you need
* 2 slices of American cheese (orange-colored)
* Flour
* A small dish
* 1 tablespoon peanut butter (use hummus if you are allergic to peanuts)
* 1 variety package of food coloring
* 2 small bowls
* 1 dull knife
* 2 slices of bread
* 1 teaspoon powdered sugar
what you do
THE SETUP
1 The first step is to “age” the slices of cheese. Put a small amount of flour in a dish. Dip your finger in the flour and dab it on the edges of the cheese so it looks like spots of mold.
2 Now create some “moldy” bread. Put the peanut butter and 4 drops of blue food coloring in a bowl and mix them together with the knife. The mixture should turn green.
3 Use the knife to lightly dab green peanut butter on top of one slice of bread in moldlike patches. Don’t overdo it—a light touch makes the mold look more realistic. Then sprinkle a little powdered sugar on some patches. Turn the bread over and tap it with your finger to shake off the excess sugar. You want just enough to give the mold a furry appearance.
4 In the second bowl, mix together two drops of each color of food coloring. Dab this mixture on or next to the green areas of the bread to make black blotches.
5 Now assemble the sandwich using the other slice of bread and the cheese. Make sure the cheese slices are sticking out so you can see the mold.
PULL THE PRANK
1 Wrap the sandwich in plastic and take it to school. Or serve the sandwich to yourself on a plate at home when you’re lunching with your family.
2 Before you take the first bite, say something like, “Mmmm, this is my new favorite sandwich!” Then eat the way you normally do, as if there is nothing unusual about your lunch. When people say things like, “Gross, your sandwich has mold on it!” just smile and say, “You gotta try this!” and offer the person a bite.
the prank
Short-sheeting a bed is one of the oldest pranks in the book. Keep the ancient bedtime tradition alive by pulling this prank at sleepovers, on your siblings, or on your parents.
what you need
* The sheets and bed of an unsuspecting friend or family member
what you do
THE SETUP
1 To do this prank, you need to remake your victim’s bed, so wait until she is out of the house.
2 Take off the bedspread, blanket, pillows, and top sheet.
3 Spread the top sheet on the bed so the end that usually goes at the top is at the bottom. If there’s a fancy border, it should face up. Make sure there is plenty of sheet sticking out at the top and tuck that part under the mattress.
4 Now fold the top sheet almost in half by bringing the bottom edge up toward the top, so it’s even with the edge of the mattress. Put the blanket on and fold the top edge of the sheet over it. If there is a fancy border, it should show.
5 Tuck in all the edges of the sheet and blanket. Make sure the sheet is pulled tight.
6 Now put the pillows and bedspread back where they belong.
PULL THE PRANK
1 When your victim gets into bed and tries to stretch out her legs, she won’t be able to. Her feet will get stuck in the folded sheet.
2 If you get accused of any wrong-doing, say, “You must have been really tired when you made your bed this morning. It’s crazy what you did with the sheets!”
the prank
If you’ve already short-sheeted every bed in the house—at least twice—try this bed prank. Your family will start checking under the sheets every night before getting in bed.
what you need
* Small balloons (6 to 10 of them)
* Water
* A towel or paper towels
what you do
THE SETUP
1 Run the water in the sink until it’s very cold. Then use the cold water to make 6 to 10 small water balloons. To make a water balloon, fit the opening of the balloon over the faucet. Slowly turn on the water. When the balloon is just filled, but not stretched out, turn off the water. Remove the balloon and tie a knot in the opening.
2 Use a towel or paper towel to dry off the balloons. Make sure no water is leaking from them. If you want to make them colder, leave them in the fridge for a few hours before pulling the prank.
PULL THE PRANK
1 Sneak into your victim’s bedroom. Pull back the blankets and sheet and place the cold water balloons in the middle of the bed so the person’s feet will touch them when he gets into bed.
2 Now put the sheet and blanket back just the way you found them. If you made the water balloons small enough, they won’t show under the blankets. When your victim gets into bed, the balloons will feel like some creepy, cold-blooded creature that has invaded the bed.
AFTER Z
Did you pull every prank from A to Zzz? That’s a lot of pranks—but it’s only the beginning of your career as a prankster. Often the best pranks are the ones you invent yourself, using everyday materials. Keep your eyes, ears, and mind open to pranking opportunities. As the dedicated prankster Hugh Troy (see page 35) once said, “You will make life more interesting for yourself—and for other people.”
P.S. How many times did YOU get punked while reading this book? Though a master prankster such as your
self probably catches onto a hoax as quickly as a Whoopee Cushion toots … here’s the official list of pranks that your faithful author planted in these pages for your enjoyment.
1 PAGE 9: THE PRANKSTER HALL OF FAME: ANIMALS PULL PRANKS, TOO! While it’s amazing to picture wild hyenas pranking each other with homemade whoopee cushions, unfortunately, no one has ever witnessed such a thing. Dr. Sheila Getchew is a made-up scientist. Did she getchew to believe her fake research?
2 PAGE 37: COMPUTER PRANKS AT WORKMAN.COM/COMPUTERPRANKS. Those additional computer pranks were pranks on you, but you didn’t fall for them, did you? Instead, you sent friends to the fake website and they are busy enjoying their subscriptions to the Cottage Cheese of the Month Club!
3 PAGE 93: THE PRANKSTER HALL OF FAME: INTELLIGENCE TEST: DO PRANKS MAKE PEOPLE SMARTER? Dr. Fran Luschinsky and her discoveries about the effects of pranks on the brain are completely made up. But don’t worry if you spent some time pacing around your living room with a pineapple on your head while repeating the word knarp (which, by the way, is prank spelled backward). It can be a very therapeutic exercise—at least for those around you, who will enjoy all the health benefits of hysterical laughter.
Copyright © 2013 by Julie Winterbottom
Illustrations copyright © Workman Publishing Co., Inc.
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced—mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying—without written permission of the publisher. Published simultaneously in Canada by Thomas Allen & Son Limited.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
eISBN 9780761176855
Cover design by Raquel Jaramillo
Workman books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for premiums and sales promotions as well as for fund-raising or educational use. Special editions or book excerpts can also be created to specification. For details, contact the Special Sales Director at the address below, or send an email to specialmarkets@workman.com.
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WORKMAN is a registered trademark of Workman Publishing Co., Inc. The trademarks, trade dress, and logos referred to in this book are examples, and they are each the property of their respective owners.
The author and publisher disclaim responsibility for any adverse effects that result from using information contained in this book.
PHOTO CREDITS: 6emeia.com: p.115 bottom left; BBC Photo Library: p.13; Benoit Lemoine/www.benoitlemoine.eu: p.115 middle left; Chad Nicholson: p.55; Fame: Barcroft p.115 middle left; fotolia: Aaron Amat p.145, amandaplank001 p.30, anankkml p.35, Anyka p.223 2nd from top, berc p.142, brozova p.175 (composite), cheri131 p.69, dvarg p.161, Feydzhet Shabanov p.143 left, fotomaster p.221 (soup label insert), Georgios Kollidas p.8, Gordana Sermek p.223 top (composite), honzahruby p.167, Image Source IS2 p.93, jagodka p.47, mirovoi p.28, OlegD p.221 (soup label insert), olly p.175 composite, panoKreativ p.45, picsfive p.52, Popova Olga p.17, rangizzz p.143 right, Alexandr Steblovskiy p.69, Simone van den Berg p.223 top (composite), uwimages p.223 bottom, zabiamedve p.176, Zharastudio p.92; Getty Images: Boston Globe p.31 bottom, Stuart Dee p.23, Luke Frazza/AFP p.126, Hulton Archive p.125 top, Hulton Archive/Stringer p.12, Elliot Neep p.9, George Skadding p.16, George Skaddling/Time Life Pictures p.125 middle, Chip Somodevilla p.127, Lane Stewart/Sports Illustrated p.144, Time Life Pictures p.125 bottom, Lawrence Thornton p.124; Joey Skaggs Archive: p.119; Mal Sharpe: p.41; © nialsmith.co.uk: p.77; Photofest: p.160; Reuters: Eloy Alonso p.129; Rex USA: Steve Alexander p.177 (Crop Circles), Philip Ide p.177, Eye Ubiquitous p.114; Edgar Mueller p.115 top, Courtesy of Kerry Scanlon, Kansas City, MO: p.79; Courtesy of Ravi Kochhar: p.31 top; Courtesy of Mark Jenkins/xmarkjenkinsx.com: p.115 bottom right; Courtesy of © Palace Administration Hellbrunn: p.67; Courtesy of Trevor Cox, University of Salford: p.59; Courtesy of Chris N. Brown: p.81, Courtesy of S.S. Adams LLC: p.73; Courtesy of LBJ Library/Yoichi Okamoto: p. 126, top; Public Domain: p.174.