Jillian Wabash was kidnapped and held
for ransom in 1996 by a sect of pacifist Buddhist monks. The monks,
who had seen a great many ransoms in movies, knew they had to send
some part of their hostage to prove to her parents that they were
serious. Unfortunately, being non-violent by nature, the Buddhists
could only bring themselves to cut off the child's hair. When her
parents received the package containing a lock of hair and a note
made of letters cut from magazines which read
“Dear sir and madam, we have your
daughter and are taking excellent care of her, ensuring she receives
three healthy meals a day, a warm bed, plenty of exercise, and proper
education while she is in our custody. If we receive three million
dollars in unmarked bills, we promise we will not harm another hair
on her head. We apologize for the hairs we have already harmed, but
we wish to assure you they will grow back and that for the time
being, we have shaped her hair into a fashion that is stylish and
esteem raising while still allowing her to learn that style is but
wind, full of force but no substance and the esteem of others is but
an illusionary boulder on the path to enlightenment. You may leave
the money behind the dumpster at McDonalds on Washington Avenue.”
The Wabash family, after careful
consideration, determined the monks would probably be able to do a
better job raising their daughter than they could, and so for the
next ten years, they politely replied to each new delivery of a lock
of hair, “Thank you, but we do not have the money at this time. We
appreciate you looking after our child in the meantime.”
- Originally mailed to T. Danley in New Orleans, Louisiana
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