The BBQ rat troll

My dad (RIP) had an amazing sense of humour, and came up with some of the best pranks I've ever seen. One summer's day he went to a BBQ with my mum at a friend's house, and a rat ran across the BBQ. This is how he responded.

My dad's friend was a very neat man who liked to keep his house in pristine condition. So, when a rat ran across the BBQ in his back garden, he was mortified. according to reports my dad found the incident hilarious, but his friend was distressed and apologised all evening. To lighten the mood and help his friend move past it, this is what my dad did.

Who put meat in my rat-a-touille?

My dad invited his friend over for dinner, and laid a formal table that looked like it belonged in a restaurant, with a menu that said simply 'salad, followed by ratatouille and desert'. 

When it came time for the main course, my dad carried in a silver dome, and put it in front of his friend, lifting the lid with a flourish. What do you think was sitting in the middle of the plate, surrounded by vegetable stew? Yup, a plastic rat.

That's how my dad got his friend to laugh about the rodent that ran across his BBQ. It's only a little story, but it reminds me of how witty my dad was, and how much fun he was to be around. Now, if an animal is ever accidentally involved in a friend's dinner party, I know what to do.