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An emperor in the east was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor. Instead of choosing one of his children, he decided something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day and said; “It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you”. Th e kids were shocked! But he continued. “I am going to give each one of you a seed today, one very special seed. I want you to plant and 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 also there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and told his mother the whole 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 some three weeks some other kids began to talk about their plants that were beginning to grow. Four, five, six weeks passed, but nothing ever grew for Ling. By now others were talking about their plants. Ling had nothing and he felt like a failure. After another three weeks the others were talking about the tall plants and the trees they had. Ling said nothing. 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 he wouldn’t go to the palace, but she insisted and said he had to be honest about what had happened. Thus, Ling took his empty pot to the palace. He was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful, in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the fl oor. A few felt sorry for him, some others burst into laughing. When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. “Oh, 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 and ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. “The emperor knows I am a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!” But the emperor looked at Ling, asked his name 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? The emperor then explained. “One year ago I gave everyone here a seed. But I gave you all a boiled seed, which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and fl owers. 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!”
