When parents get a phone call from the principal’s office, that typically means that their child has been up to no good, but this mom just couldn’t be mad at her third-grade son, who decided to bring a dead squirrel to school in his backpack.
Ladye Hobson shared a photo of the incident on Facebook, in a post that has gone viral with more than 79,000 shares and 75,000 reactions
Hobson recounted the phone call on Her View From Home.
“Ladye, this is Gayla (the principal—yeah, we’re on a first name basis if that tells you anything). I just called to let you know that Brylan has made my day.”
Hobson was instantly relieved to find out that the principal had called for a good reason, but was horrified to find out the reason behind the call.
The principal proceeds to tell me, obviously holding back laughter, that the faculty has discovered a dead squirrel in my son’s backpack.
CBS News reports that Brylan found the dead squirrel in the grass outside the school before class started and showed it to his best friend. Word about the dead squirrel in his backpack spread until it reached a teacher. By that time, the squirrel had been lying in his backpack for six hours.
Why did Brylan decide to pick up a dead squirrel and put it in his “$50 Pottery Barn backpack with his name embroidered that [Hobson] splurged on two months ago”? Apparently, he “really wanted squirrel dumplings for dinner,” as he explained to the principal.
“Ya’ll, I had to explain that we are from the country, but we are not THAT country!”
The principal then asked the mortified Hobson if she actually wanted the squirrel.
Hobson shared her reaction on Her View From Home.
Ya’ll, I had to explain that we are from the country, but we are not THAT country!
Gayla asks permission to send me a photo, because “it looks so peaceful lying there in his bag.” I hate how right she is, because the poor little guy really is cute. And dead. And crawling with bugs. And in my son’s backpack.
Hobson told CBS News that the idea for squirrel dumplings probably came from Brylan’s “dear ol’ country grandparents.” But Hobson herself has never cooked any meat other than the usual “beef, chicken, pork, and the usual seafood.” She has no plans on venturing out to squirrel recipes any time in the future.
When Brylan came home three hours later, he was fighting tears and full of apologies. Hobson didn’t give him any more grief—she just couldn’t be mad. “He has made the principal’s day, after all.”
Image source: Ladye Hobson
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