Imagine having a family member who owned property by a lake that included a free place to stay. It’s even better when this family member is happy to let his family use it.

The problem is that some family members don’t know when to leave.

In today’s story, one woman and her kids take advantage of their family member’s kindness, so he finds a clever way to make sure they don’t do it again!

Let’s read all the details.

You can’t kick out family, but…

A story from my grandfather, set in 1948-50 timeframe.

Uncle Joe bought some land with a cabin on a lake in Ontario, back in the 1920’s or 30’s.

Over the years he kept adding to it – another cabin, a bunkhouse that slept about 12, a boathouse, a shaded outdoor dining area under some trees, etc.

Each summer Uncle Joe would invite various parts of the large family up there, and it would be a grand time.

It was just called “the camp” and was well loved by the family.

Mabel wore out her welcome.

The only full-time resident of the camp was an older man who bred hunting dogs – this was the perfect area for that sort of thing.

There were about 10 well behaved adult dogs around most of the time, and the kids loved that each year there were puppies around too.

But one year, Aunt Mabel and her passel of squalling, ill-behaved children came to the camp.

No problem – they were family, and welcome – except they stayed most of the summer.

They weren’t going to let Mabel stay that long next year.

When my grandfather got there in July to stay two weeks (as he had always done), Mabel and crew had been there for a while already, and Uncle Joe later said they didn’t leave until September.

He was too polite to kick them out – but he was fed up, especially when they made noises about coming back the next year.

The next year, Uncle Joe asked my grandfather to go with him several weeks early, to set up the camp.

They talked to the dog breeder, and hatched a plan . . . . .

There was only one noticeable difference.

When Aunt Mable and brood arrived, everyone sat down to dinner at the outdoor dining area.

The only change from last year was that there were metal plates nailed to the tables now.

This caused a couple of raised eyebrows, especially when the explanation was that “it was easier to clean this way”, but everyone ate happily.

Then, when everyone was done eating, my grandfather’s time to shine came.

He gave a loud whistle and yelled “Dinnertime!”

Here come the dogs!

A pack of hounds came from the other end of the camp at a run, and jumped up on the tables.

They started eating the leftovers, then licking all the plates clean – this took less than a minute.

Uncle Joe and my grandfather stood nearby, nodding approvingly, and patting the dogs.

Uncle Joe said, “See? Easier to clean this way. Want to go fishing now?”

The revenge was very effective.

My grandfather reported it was the first time he had literally seen someone’s jaw drop open, and start gaping open and closed like a fish.

Mabel and brood somehow decided to leave the next morning before breakfast.

It had taken two weeks to train the dogs, and Uncle Joe and my grandfather had to spend the rest of the summer breaking them of the habit of jumping on the dining tables.

Everyone agreed it was worth it.

Mable and brood never returned to the camp.

That is hilarious, and it worked like a charm! I love it!

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

This reader thought the revenge was cute.

This is a good point!

Another person called the story “wonderful.”

This person must have gotten have strange looks at work.

I wonder what movie it was.

Yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks!

Who knew?

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.