3. Misunderstanding Makes Master Chef Kill Himself
French master chef Francois Vatel took charge of a grand banquet for 2000 people. They scheduled the banquet at the Chateau de-Chantilly for April 25, 1671. The banquet honored King Louis XIV. The plans were made only 15 days prior, and Vatel became stressed by a series of minor mishaps. During a preliminary dinner a few days before the banquet, there were more guests than expected. Two out of twenty-six tables went without roast. A mortified Vatel wept that he had lost honor and could not bear the shame. Reassurances that the dinner flowed smoothly, and that it pleased the king, did not comfort Vatel. He continued obsessing about the roast-less tables. Later that night, a grand display of fireworks flopped because fog and low clouds descended, which depressed Vatel even further.
The next morning – one day before the banquet – Vatel encountered a supplier bringing two loads of fish. He asked him if that was all the fish. The supplier, unaware Vatel was referring to the fish from all suppliers, not just himself, replied that it was. That was the final straw for a frazzled Vatel, who had hardly slept for two weeks. Vatel broke down, crying “I won’t survive this insult. My honor and reputation are at stake!“. Unable to endure any future humiliation from a failed royal banquet, Vatel took a sword and ran himself through. Sadly, it did not take long before the misunderstanding resolved itself; fish from other suppliers began arriving soon thereafter. As the master chef lay dying of his wound, wagon loads of fish trundled their way into the Chateau de-Chantilly.
