by When you fool someone with a stunt, you may say in plain English,
“I discombobulated you!” Or you can say, “I bush-wacked you!”
They can reply, “I was completely dumb-founded.”
This means, “I made you lose your head!” Or it means, “I cut you down to size.” Your friend feels absolutely dumb!
These are great terms in English but feeling dumb-founded can make you frustrated, impatient or even angry. All tricks must be done in a spirit of joy. Laugh and share how the stunt is done. Most people agree that it made them feel foolish at first but they can’t wait to try it out on a friend.
This stunt is found world-wide. It is one of the oldest tricks ever published.
Stunt:
To get ready, cut two strips of newspaper, each three inches wide. (Be careful when you use cutting instruments, like scissors.) The strips should be between one and two feet long. Tape the ends of one strip together to make a circle. Do the same thing with the other strip…but…before you tape the ends, give one end a single twist.
Give the twisted strip and a pair of scissors to a friend.
Say: “I can cut my circle in half to make two skinny circles before you can! I will give you a head start. Try it!”
Do: Cut the strips by poking the points of your scissors through the center and cut all the way around. Wait until your friend starts cutting before you begin to cut your circled in half. There is no rush because instead of getting two circles, your friend will end up with one large one!
Imagine children in Mexico , Alaska or even in England doing this trick!
Chatter:
Have y9u ever thought something was easy and fun to learn. As you completed the task, you may have looked forward to how it would turn out. Sadly, you are disappointed. Someone completely bush-wacked you!
Did you ever think it would be easy to ride a bike and found out it was terribly difficult?
Have you ever picked out a big red apple and then later, found a worm in it?
Horses and ponies are often unpredictable. Have you ever gone for a ride only to find the animal bends down on his front knees and falls over to one side with you on top? He had an itch and needed to scratch it. The only way was to roll in the dirt.
Things like this happen. We can either laugh or cry. Sometimes, we do both.
Here is a joke that discombobulates us!
Two mothers were comparing stories about their children. The first one complained that her son never wanted to get out of bed in the morning. The second told her, “I don’t have that problem. When it’s time for my son to get up, I just throw the cat in his bed.”
“How does that help?” asked the first mom.
“He sleeps with the dog.”
Great story, isn’t it. I can imagine what would happen. I had huskies. They do not get along well with cats unless as a pup, the husky’s best friend was a kitten.
Scriptural Application:
Mark 4:30
The Bible is full of surprise endings. This is a parable. A parable is a story with a meaning. The kingdom of heaven is described as a man who casts out seed upon soil. These are mustard seeds. Mustard seeds are very, very tiny. What surprises the man is that even though the seed is tiny, it grows larger than all the garden plants and forms such large branches that birds of the air can nest under its shade. The parable teaches us many lessons but the most important one is that when we share our faith with someone, we share the Word of God with others, something amazing happens. It causes this person to grow and become much bigger and wiser. That person may be able to grow into a large tree and drop other seeds so more and more people can become big and wise.
Boundaries: It is important to always be aware that people can deceive you in this world. Be on the alert but do not get angry when you are fooled. Sometimes, someone may seem friendly, wise or try to become a friend, then we are disappointed when that person finds another friend they like better. Make lots of friends. If you lose one, you will have another.
