The temple was crowded. The heat unbearable. Now and then we would listen to an irritating cough or a child`s cry. Children didn`t have patience with the divine things. The young minister was preaching. He had a strong and clear voice that thundered through the nave.

He was talking about Jesus and his miracles:- “ Miracles weren`t apanage of two thousand years ago, when Christ wandered through the streets of Jerusalem. Even now they are happening everyday. For instance, see what happened to my sister, when we were very young. She had one leg larger than the other.”

Here he made a pause just to feel the audience`s reaction. People, seated in their pews, started to pay more attention, waiting for what would be the next step of the story, following the young preacher`s words.

“As I said, she had a leg smaller than the other. The left one. And she suffered very much because of this handicap and sometimes even had to use crutches. Her colleagues, cruel as children usually are, nicknamed her – “Miss Let me kick”, because when walking she used to make the movements of someone who is going to kick a ball in a soccer game. That used to hurt her very much. The doctors said that there was nothing to be done. It was a birth problem and she would have to go along, for her entire life, with the deformity. Her walk in life would be a lame one. Then, one day, she joined this church, became a member and came to worship every week. She was less than ten years old and usually we would come with our mother. Then, one Sunday morning, I remember very well, there was a strong rain outside and the wind jounced the windows. The services were over but we couldn`t go home immediately because we hadn`t brought umbrellas. So we waited at the entrance of the church. Almost everybody had gone when the veteran parson approached. He then said to my sister :- “Do you believe in Jesus? “. “Of course she said.” Do you believe that He has all the power and can do whatever He wants?. She nodded, without understanding. “What would you like God to do to help you? “ She sadly looked at her shorter leg without saying a word. A tear rolled through her lovely face.” “Okay”, then the old minister said, putting his hand in her shoulder. “ Let`s kneel down and pray. Now, at this moment and ask. It`s written in the Bible:- Just ask and it will be given to you.”

The young minister continued:- My mother and me, without understanding what did the veteran priest wanted, joined her and kneeled too. At this moment nobody was at the temple anymore. Just we and the veteran priest. And we started praying in loud voice. Together we prayed. The veteran parson commented:- He (Jesus) said that when three or more of you gather to pray, He´ll be amongst you. So, now, He is here, I can feel his presence, He is pulling her leg…”And, do you known what happened:- The girl`s shorter leg started growing and growing and we had to stop praying because if not it would grow so much that it would outgrow the normal one and reach the wall!!”

When the minister told this, about the growing leg, a respectful silence bestrow through the temple. It was an awesome miracle, hard to believe. He made a pause again, just to enjoy the moment, knowing that this evening the number of believers would grow too, like the girl`s leg, and so the parishioners contribution.

But the silence didn´t endure more than three minutes. A murmuring sound started from the pews near the minister and diffused all around the temple. People got excited and started shouting:- “A miracle, a terrific miracle!!” They all stood up, with wide eyes, like something appaling was happening.

The young minister, enjoying his moment of glory, thought with himself:- “There is no reason for such uproar. What`s the point of such pandemonium? It`s just one more miracle among so many I have told you about. We all are Christians and miracles should be part of our everyday life. Restrain yourselves. Please.” But the commotion grew more and more and, strangely, some members were running away from the temple.

Then, the minister`s assistant looked aghast at him and screamed:-
Pastor Pinocchio, your nose is growing up!!! And, in effect, the minister`s nose grew and grew, reaching forward first in centimeters, then yards, then meters… scaring everybody inside the temple, that, in minutes, became entirely empty.

In there remained only the sweating young minister, his wooden face and his big nose.