Jesus working the pearly gates

One day Jesus decides to give Peter some time off, so he goes down to the Pearly Gates. Peter is sitting there, bored stiff, ticking off names, motioning the chosen souls into Paradise and rejecting pretenders.

"Hey, there, Rocky," says Jesus. Peter scrambles to attention, spilling some ink and knocking scrolls onto the clouds.

"I, um, I'm pleased to see you, Lord," says Peter, "what can I do for you."

Jesus lays his hand on Peter's shoulder. "Don't get up; relax. I think you're doing a great job, but you could use a break. Why don't you get out a bit? -- go fishing."

"But Lord," Peter stammers, "Who will 'bind in heaven' and all that?"

"Oh, don't worry about that! I'll take care of it myself. Go on!"

So, Peter gets up and goes off for a vacation and Jesus sits down and starts reviewing the crowds lined up to come into Heaven.

He's working at this for awhile when the spirit of a bent old man comes up, carrying ghostly tool bags. Something about the old man looks familiar to Jesus.

"Say, old man, what do you have in those bags?" Jesus asks.

"Well, these are woodworking tools: in life, I was a carpenter."

"Really?" says Jesus, even more interested. "And had you a son?"

The old man replies, "Indeed I did! He suffered terribly, but in the end he was admired by all!"

Jesus knocks over the table in his eagerness to embrace the old man: "Father!"

And the old man returns his embrace: "Pinocchio!"