An Elderly Woman Filled In A Crossword That Was Actually A Piece Of Art Worth $88,000

If you’re a crossword puzzle fan, then you’ll understand how difficult it is to leave a word undone.

The clues are so tempting, the white spaces are so inviting… crosswords are the greatest (plus, they have been proven to slow dementia). Well, one 91-year-old German woman simply couldn’t resist doing what she believed was an unfinished crossword at the Neues Museum in Nuremburg—only to find out once she had finished that the crossword was actually an avant-garde piece called “Reading-work-piece” by Arthur Koepcke, the BBC reports.

The piece, which is worth about 80,000 euros ($88,532), is accompanied by a sign that says, “Insert words.” Nothing against Arthur Koepcke, but don’t leave a crossword unattended with an invitation to complete it unless you want someone to actually do so.

According to the museum, it will only take a few hundred dollars to restore the work, and since the 91-year-old delinquent wasn’t actually acting out of malice, the museum will cover the cost.

“We do realize that the old lady didn’t mean any harm,” museum director Eva Kraus told the Telegraph. “We will let the lady know that the collector took the damage to the work in good humour, so she doesn’t have a sleepless night.”

So all’s well that ends well, but was she able to finish the crossword? That’s what I really want to know.