A wallet stolen from Siv Nilsson 13 years ago was finally returned by mail with money, drivers license, and most importantly, a note.

It said, "Sorry."

That IS a feel good story! I can't imagine letting guilt work on me for that long though, if guilt is what prompted the person to finally return it.

Several years ago, I was driving to a friend's house, and in those days, I would put my purse in the front passenger seat. As I turned off the main road to a side road, the passenger door came open, so I pulled over and shut it. I started off again, and it was a couple miles later that I realized my purse wasn't in the car. I backtracked to find it, but it was gone. So, I went home and called the sherrif's department to report it, and called to cancel my credit cards. I went the next day to get a new driver's license, etc. About a week later, the sherrif's department called my mom at work to let her know it had been turned in and that someone would drop it off to her. When I got it back, everything was in it, cash, cards, a couple pieces of jewelry, perfume, etc. I was surprised that everything was still in it, because of how long it took to get it back. I figured if no one had turned it in that first day, it was gone forever.

I sense some good old fashion morals by the thief that probably wouldn't have been forthcoming if the little bugger hadn't been caugt by his dad!

It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems just with potatoes.

I know I'll sound like Pollyanna here, but as I believe that many of us would try and get the lost item to its owner, I have taught my children that, and that is how I was raised.
I also told my students that as few French people believe it.
One kid lost a very expensive pen...and I put up an announcement and told him, that as I would return it, and he would return it, that statistically he stood a chance of getting it back. He had it within an hour.
He asked me why I just knew that...I told him that I knew that I'd do it, and that many people would if it were easy to just give it to the person at the desk whom they trusted. Otherwise, if they had to go to the police or something...they might not bother.

Once we were swimming at an aqua park...the children found some very large bills on the slide. I said, "oh my..if we try to give them to the attendants...they'll probably refuse. "
I knew this for a fact! THey would!
But, I told them to wait...and we did...and sure enough a gentleman was looking around...happened to be English..and so I asked him if he'd lost anything...he said yes, felt like a fool, but some bills and his credit card.
I said, "my kids found them...here."
He was overjoyed.
Then my son found his credit card!
THey realized that what I'd said was right.