AS a teacher, I had heard my share of excuses. My favorite (legitimate one) was from a student who had gotten into an argument with her much-younger sister. In the course of this dispute, her sister took a bite out of her science homework. Since the damaged homework was presented to me as proof, I allowed her to re-do it without a lateness penalty. You just can't make this stuff up.
My sister (also a "younger") would sneak into my room and change the answers on my math homework. Boy did she get it when I found out. The supreme irony / justice in this situation is that at various times I've tutored both her kids in math.
