Sometimes, the kids are right and the adults are wrong.

In this case, school kids were doing the natural thing and picking up/knocking down mangoes from a mango tree, thus preventing them from rotting on the ground.

The teachers didn’t like this rowdy behavior, so the kids put the new rules to the test and got exactly what they wanted!

Let’s read the story.

Malicious compliance by all the students caused the whole school to reek!

This is an old story I had forgotten about until just now, ah the nostalgia. It happened when i was in Middle School (about 2010), a bit of context: I live in an old rural town (not in the U.S).

The only middle school in this town used to be a nursery, the kind where plants and trees are grown or sold, not a medical nursery.

Most of the trees weren’t cut down when the place became a school and a few of them where fruit trees, 3 or 4 of them were mango trees.

Free fruit!

Us kids loved taking them home by the bunches to enjoy with our families or eating them during lunch and breaks.

Occasionally some kids would try throwing rocks or sticks at the tree branches to make some mangos fall, one of the teacher’s didn’t like this.

Understandably, throwing rocks could be dangerous but nobody was throwing them at each other and they were careful looking around for any people passing by as to not hurt anyone.

To me, this sounds like healthy behavior for kids. But of course, they had to call the Mango Police.

The most logical thing to do would have been to forbid students from throwing things at trees but instead…

The school passed a rule that any students caught picking up mangoes, wether they be on the ground or trying to get them from the trees would get in trouble or even face suspension.

We all thought it was a dumb idea but me and a few other students could smell the eventual disaster from a mile away, so nobody protested and everyone at school agreed to comply (even the kids who were known to be rebellious).

They would learn it the hard way.

Well… About a month or so later the whole school was absolutely stinking of rotten mangoes and for those of you who don’t know, mango season usually peaks during early spring and late summer, plus in the state we’re in, rainy season hits in summer.

So imagine old rotting mangoes in muddy water puddles that sit for days at a time… In the summer heat… Not a good combination of smells.

Interesting change of heart.

The teachers by that point told us that if we see a mango in good condition to be eaten we could pick them up.

But, we couldn’t possibly break the new rule that was imposed by our respectable teacher!

We must obey like the good students we are!

The next school year was different.

The school had to pay a clean-up crew to dump all the rubbish and some of the parents (my mom included) complained about the wastefulness of perfectly edible fruit.

The next school year we were all enjoying delicious mangonadas (which is mango flavored ice pop with a spicy sweet sauce) under the lovely shade and those good ol’ summer breezes.

Said ice pop’s were made and sold by a classmate.

The teacher that had originally started the complaints was a loyal customer!

That’s a satisfying and delicious ending.

Let’s read what Reddit has to say about this story.

True words.

I completely agree!

A reader shares a similar story.

Another reader chimes in.

I agree.

It really does sound delicious.

Next time, let nature do its thing.

If you liked that post, check this one about a guy who got revenge on his condo by making his own Christmas light rules.