Funny misunderstanding

One of my students thinks she's from America. She lived there for a few years and fancies herself American. We were talking about Thanksgiving, and she said she had celebrated Thanksgiving with her family. I asked her what they ate. She said, "You know, the regular stuff. Turkey, potatoes, mice, gravy." 

Huh? Wie Bitte? 

I said, "I must have misunderstood you. You eat mice?" She gave me a blank stare, and said, "Yes. Mice. For Thanksgiving."

I really didn't want to know that mice are a German delicacy, but I figured I should find out more about this. Perhaps this is why Fiona doesn't like the school lunch.

I asked, in true open-minded fashion, "How do you eat, um, mice?" and she responded, "Cut up on a plate." I nearly died. The image of a platter of cut up mice, with gravy on it filled my mind. I thought I should clarify with her before calling the German DSS. And animal control. And her parents. And checking the hot lunch menu very closely. 

"What do you eat with the mice?" I asked politely. Student gave me a weird look. "Um, other vegetables, like potatoes, I guess."

Suddenly it all clicked. I grasped the desk with relief, collapsed in a chair, and said "MAIZE! CORN! Oh, Student, that's what you eat! CORN!" She must have thought I was losing my mind. I had forgotten that the German word for corn is maize. Pronounced, you got it, mice. This is a kid who never uses German so you can see my mistake. She looked at me like I had six heads. I explained, as an excellent teacher does to a third grader, "I thought you and your family ate Mickey! On a plate! Cut up on a plate!" We giggled about the mice all day. The rest of the class, not as advanced in their English or translation skills, and clearly not as "American" as this little one, didn't get the joke.  I'm no animal lover, but the image of the cut-up Mickeys on the plate still haunts me.