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Jim Griffith Columnist

Published Friday, January 20, 2012

Son in prison helps father with idea

An old man lived all alone in Ireland.

His wife had died, and unfortunately, a son, his one living close relative, was serving a term in prison for robbing a bank.

The old fellow had spent his life farming. He loved the feel of plowed earth under his feet and received great delight in planting something and seeing it grow.

Even at his advanced age, the desire of his heart was to dig up and plant his potato garden, but it was very difficult work for an old man.

Like a good father, he wrote his son a letter, even though he knew his incoming and outgoing mail was carefully screened by prison authorities. Mainly, his letters were like personal father-son chats from home.

"Son," he said, "you know, I've always had a potato garden, but this year for the first time I don't believe I'm physically able to dig it up for planting."

Promptly, he received a letter from his son in prison in which he said:

"For heaven's sake, Dad, don't dig up that garden. That's where I buried and hid all the money I stole from the bank."

At 4 o'clock the next morning the old father's sleep was disturbed by more than a dozen policemen who dug up the entire garden without finding any money.

Confused, he wrote his son another note, telling him what happened and asking him what to do.

His son phoned him that night and said, "Dad, go ahead and plant your potato garden. It's the best I could do for you from here."

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