A very distinguished lady was on a plane arriving from Switzerland when she found herself seated next to a friendly priest. During the flight, she leaned toward him and said, “Excuse me, Father, could I ask you a favor?” The priest smiled and replied, “Of course, my child. What can I do for you?” She explained that she had purchased an extremely expensive, sophisticated hair-removal gadget and had exceeded the customs declaration limit. Afraid officials might confiscate it, she asked whether he could hide it beneath his cassock.
The priest thought about it and finally agreed, but he gave her one warning. “I can hide it for you, my child, but you must understand that I cannot tell a lie.” The woman wasn’t worried. “Father, you have such an honest face that I’m certain they won’t even question you.” Relieved, she handed him the device, and he carefully concealed it beneath his clothing before the plane landed.
When they reached customs, an officer stopped the priest and asked the standard question: “Father, do you have anything to declare?” Remembering his promise never to lie, the priest calmly replied, “From the top of my head down to my waist, I have absolutely nothing to declare.” The customs officer raised an eyebrow. It was certainly the strangest answer he’d heard all day.
Curious, the officer continued, “And from your waist down, Father?” The priest paused for a moment and then answered with complete seriousness, “I have a marvelous instrument designed for use on women, but I assure you it has never been used.” For several seconds, the customs officer simply stared at him, trying to process what he’d just heard.
Then the officer burst out laughing so loudly that another customs worker turned around to see what was happening. Barely able to speak, he waved the priest forward and shouted, “Next passenger!” The priest walked away without having told a single lie, while the woman followed behind him trying desperately to keep a straight face. She had asked an honest man to hide her secret—and discovered that sometimes the truth can sound far more suspicious than any lie.
