On a quiet summer day, a distinguished and elegant lady boarded a flight from Switzerland, settling into her seat beside a kind-hearted priest known for his warm demeanor and gentle nature. As the plane ascended and the two passengers exchanged polite smiles, the lady leaned closer to the priest, her voice soft yet filled with urgency.
“Father, may I ask you for a favor?” she said with a hint of worry in her tone. The priest, ever the picture of compassion and humility, nodded kindly and replied, “Of course, my child. What can I do for you?” The lady sighed in relief and explained her predicament. She had recently purchased a very expensive hair removal device during her travels, a gadget that was both luxurious and rare, and she dreaded the idea of facing issues with customs upon arrival. She feared the item would exceed the declaration limits and result in unwanted attention or additional fees. Trusting in the priest’s honesty and integrity, she asked if he would consider hiding the device under his cassock for her, just long enough to pass through customs without incident.
The priest, though willing to help, raised one important point before agreeing. He said calmly, “I will do this for you, but you must know that I cannot lie. I cannot speak falsehoods, even in jest.” The lady, relieved nonetheless, smiled gratefully and assured him that his honesty would not be an issue. Confident in his ability to help, she handed him the small but expensive device, trusting that her secret was safe with this holy man.
Hours later, the plane landed, and passengers began to disembark, one by one making their way toward the customs checkpoint. The priest, carrying the gadget hidden under his flowing cassock, stepped forward with his usual serene expression. A customs officer, doing his job diligently, stopped him and asked in a firm but polite tone, “Father, do you have anything to declare?” With the wisdom and wit of a man accustomed to both truth and diplomacy, the priest replied, “From the top of my head to my sash, I have nothing to declare, my son.” The customs officer raised an eyebrow at this unusual but honest answer, clearly intrigued.
He then followed up with another question, trying to clarify what lay beyond that. “And from your sash down, Father, do you have anything to declare?” Without missing a beat, the priest, maintaining a perfectly straight face, replied, “Below my sash, I have a marvelous little instrument designed for use by women, but which has never been used.” For a moment, the customs officer stared, stunned by the unexpected answer.
Then, unable to contain himself, he burst into laughter, shaking his head in amusement. The priest’s clever choice of words, truthful yet humorous, had completely diffused the situation. The customs officer, still chuckling, waved him through, saying, “Go ahead, Father. Next!” and allowed the holy man to pass without further inspection. As the priest walked away, he carried not just the lady’s precious gadget but also the satisfaction of having handled the situation with honesty, wit, and a touch of humor that left everyone smiling. The elegant lady, who had been watching nervously from a distance, exhaled deeply in relief, her problem solved thanks to the priest’s quick thinking. The encounter became one of those timeless travel tales—a story of kindness between strangers,
of a woman’s desperate request met with generosity, and of a priest whose wisdom and humor turned what could have been an awkward or tense moment into a shared laugh. The lesson lingered long after the journey ended: honesty paired with cleverness can overcome even the trickiest situations, and sometimes, the ability to make someone laugh is more powerful than any excuse or deception could ever be. The lady would forever remember the priest’s act of compassion and ingenuity, and the customs officer would likely never forget the day a holy man left him laughing in the middle of a routine inspection, proving that wit and kindness can make even the most stressful encounters a little brighter.
