# Radio-Pranksters. A story

Henry de Overwood

MMMDCCLXVIII. Radio-Pranksters. A story. - February 19, 2026.

Radio-Pranksters. A story.


The mustachioed grenadier left the office of his superior with a sense of regret.


What was inevitable - it's was becoming s reality.


He, the mustachioed grenadier, a man who had seen life and who had become a radio host, - he had become an overly independent, a self-sufficient figure.


He had the makings of a talented actor and of a popular storyteller. In front of the radio microphone, he transformed himself into either a stern military commander or a kindly army comrade. Over his long life, he had picked up a plethora of soldierly jokes, officer anecdotes, and become steeped in a military humor.


All of this was in great demand among a wide radio audience - both among servicemen and those from the other social strata. And who isn't involved in a service, in one way or another?


But a too much popularity, a certain independence, a known self-sufficiency-all of this turns into its opposite. Such a figure requires the displacement and replacement with someone, who is little known, is lacking in independence, is unable to exist without patronage and social support.


The first warning sign came when one radio host turned into two. The experiment wasn't entirely successful-the partner lacked artistic talent. But the mustachioed grenadier's first partner was presented as an experienced man with a wealth of technical knowledge.


Now the first partner was gone and replaced by a new partner-a greenhorn.


The superior gave orders to go to the radio studio and to host the radio-broadcast together. They would communicate with the radio audience together: he, the mustachioed grenadier (the man with experience and ability), and the greenhorn (who has no experience nor ability).


The superior's orders must be followed, executed. The mustachioed grenadier quickly prepared a joke in his head about dentures and slurred speech. The gist of the joke: it's time for the old to retire, and the young to take this place. This explanation will satisfy the radio audience.


The mustachioed grenadier was walking down the corridor. A Euro- mope walked toward him. He was talking about European affairs to the all the world. The mustachioed grenadier tried listening to the Euro- mope's broadcast issue from the beginning to the end a couple of times, but he couldn't. What nonsense! Simply boring! And every episode of the Euro- mope's radio broadcast issue begins with a reading of SMS messages coming from all over the world. Sometimes there are glitches: for example, once a question about the views and political position of a retired German official was asked by people from Chile and Iran, and the wording of the question was 100 percent identical.


Every work, job has malfunctions and mistakes!


The mustachioed grenadier recalled the secret second floor: one day, from behind a door that was always locked, several young men emerged, cursing at a broken SIM-box.


Soon, he, the mustachioed grenadier, would be removed from his radio program, leaving only the greenhorn. What will this greenhorn say into the microphone? He has no artistic talent; he can't portray either a stern military commander or a friendly army comrade. He doesn't know any salty soldier jokes or officer anecdotes; he's not steeped in military humor.


They'll probably connect the radio-pranksters with him - they will generate phone calls and SMS from all over the country...


He, the mustachioed grenadier, needs to prepare for a transition to a position of consultant (with salary and honor, but without access to a radio microphone) - to prepare a words about a trembling pen falling from an old man's weakening fingers... That will be a plausible explanation.


February 19, 2026, 09:21


Translation from Russian into English: February 19, 2026, 10:11

Владимир Владимирович Залесский " Радио-пранкеры. Рассказ. "


{ 3797. Радио-пранкеры. Рассказ. - 19 февраля 2026 г.

MMMDCCLXVIII. Radio-Pranksters. A story. - February 19, 2026.


Vladimir Zalessky Internet-bibliotheca. Интернет-библиотека Владимира Залесского}