The elderly woman looked tired but wore a kind smile. At passport control, she explained in a calm voice that she was flying to spend the winter with her grandchildren. She hadn’t seen them in a long time and missed them dearly. After her documents were checked, she dragged her old gray suitcase toward the security screening belt.

The security officer, a young man in a crisp uniform, glanced at the scanner screen with little interest—until something caught his eye. Inside one of the suitcases, an unusual shape appeared.

“Wait a minute…” he murmured, frowning. “What’s that?”

He looked up at the elderly woman in a floral scarf, the owner of the suspicious luggage.

“Ma’am, what’s in the suitcase?”

“Nothing important,” she replied softly. “Just a few gifts for my grandchildren.”

“Ma’am,” the officer said firmly, “that doesn’t seem right. What exactly is inside?”

The woman lowered her gaze. Her hands began to tremble.

“It’s nothing… I already told you.”

“Then I’m going to have to open it,” the officer announced.

“You can’t! I won’t give you the combination!” she cried.

But it was too late. Using a pair of pliers, the officer broke the lock. The suitcase opened, and everyone nearby froze.

Inside were three live chickens. To the side lay a handful of grains and an old blanket that the woman had likely used to cover them during the trip. One clucked softly; another tried to climb out of the suitcase.

“Are… these live chickens?” the officer asked, astonished.

“Yes,” the elderly woman replied calmly. “I told you—they’re gifts for my grandchildren.”

“Ma’am, you know it’s illegal to transport animals without the proper documentation.”

The woman sighed sadly.

“I just wanted my grandchildren to have fresh soup. Everything there is expensive, and I raised these chickens myself. They’re good, home-raised birds.”

The officer fell silent. He glanced at his colleague, who shrugged. After a brief discussion, the supervisor decided to turn the birds over to veterinary services and file a report on the passenger.

As the chickens were carefully removed, the woman wept.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to do anything wrong.”

“We understand, ma’am,” the officer said gently, “but rules are rules.”

The chickens were sent into quarantine, and later a local farm agreed to take them in. The woman was allowed to continue her journey—though without her “gifts.”

Before boarding, she turned to the officer and whispered,

“Please tell them not to forget me… those chickens are mine.”

The young man smiled for the first time all day.

“I promise, ma’am,” he said. “They’ll be in good hands.”