The Smuggler

THE SMUGGLER

Joseph comes up to the Cotonou border on his bicycle. He's got two
large bags over his shoulders.

The Customs official stops him and says, "What's in the bags?"

"Garri," answered Joseph.

The Customs official says, "We'll just see about that get off the
bike." The Customs official takes the bags and rips them apart; he
empties them out and finds nothing in them but garri.

He detains Joseph overnight and has the garri analyzed, only to
discover that there is nothing but pure garri in the bags.

The Customs official releases Joseph, puts the garri into new
bags, hefts them onto the man's shoulders, and lets him cross the
border.

A week later, the same thing happens. The Customs Official asks,
"What have you got?"

"garri," says Joseph.

The Customs official does his thorough examination and discovers
that the bags contain nothing but garri. He gives the garri back to
Joseph, and Joseph crosses the border on his bicycle.

This sequence of events were repeated every day for three years.
Finally, Joseph doesn't show up one day and the Customs official meets
him in a beer palour in Cotonou.

"Hey, my friend," says the Customs official, "I know you are
smuggling something. It's driving me crazy. It's all I think about,
I can't sleep. Just between you and me, what are you smuggling?"

Joseph sips his beer and says, "Bicycles."

Damn!