An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to
choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or
his children, he decided something different. He called young
people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It is time for me
to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose
one of you." The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I
am going to give each one of you a seed today. One very special
seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one
year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will
then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be
the next emperor!"
One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others,
received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the
story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted
the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and
watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the
other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that
were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing
ever grew. Three weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by. Still nothing. By
now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a
plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by--still
nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed.
Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling
didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting
for his seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought
their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother
that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But honest about what
happened, Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was
right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he
was amazed at the variety of plants gown by the other youths. They
were beautiful--in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on
the floor and many of the ther kinds laughed at him. A few felt
sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try."
When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the
young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great
plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor.
"Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!" All of a
sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his
empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling
was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have
me killed!" When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name.
"My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and
making fun of him.
The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and
then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is
Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed.
How could he be the new emperor? Then the emperor said, "One year
ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the
seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave
you all boiled seeds which would not grow. All of you, except Ling,
have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that
the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I
gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to
bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who
will be the new emperor!"
If you plant honesty, You will reap trust
If you plant goodness, You will reap friends
If you plant humility, You will reap greatness
If you plant perseverance, You will reap victory
If you plant consideration, You will reap harmony
If you plant hard work, You will reap success
If you plant forgiveness, You will reap reconciliation
If you plant openness, You will reap intimacy
If you plant patience, You will reap improvements
If you plant faith, You will reap miracles
So be careful what you plant now, It will determine what you will
reap tomorrow. The seeds you sow ,will make life worse or better
for you. Someday, you will enjoy the fruits, Or you will pay for
the choices you plant today.
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