A remorseful German tourist who had taken some volcanic rocks from a Spanish national park sent the pilfered mementos back to the site because he believed that his misguided actions had cursed him. According to a local media report, the Timanfaya National Park in the Canary Islands recently shared the peculiar tale on social media, explaining that they received the repentant package a few years ago. Along with the stolen items, the tourist included a handwritten letter with a rather chilling explanation for the surprising delivery. "I have heard legends that say extracting volcanic rock from its source brings bad luck," the tourist said, "and I fear that has happened to me."

Although he did not go into specifics, the letter writer indicated that he had recently suffered "a serious personal tragedy" in his life, which led him to believe that the stolen rocks could be to blame. Feeling a sense of obligation to make amends for his misdeed and hopefully break the perceived curse, the man decided to return the stones to the park, along with a personal plea that they be put back in front of the visitor center at the spot where he had originally taken them. Using the tourist's story as something of a teachable moment, the park stressed that stealing such rocks can cause significant environmental damage and also yields a fine of 3,000 Euros if caught committing the ill-advised crime.