The King and the Seed – Integrity

An Emperor in a Far Eastern country was growing old and had no successor. Instead of choosing an assistant to be his heir he decided on something different. He called all the young people in his region and made this announcement,  “It’s time for me to step down but before I do so I am going to choose one of you to be the next emperor!”

The kids were shocked! The emperor continued, “I’m going to give each of you a seed, one very special seed. You are to take it away, plant it, water, and care for it. In one year, you are to come back and I will judge the plants and choose the next emperor!”

One boy by the name of Ling received his seed and went home to tell his mother the story. She helped him pot soil into which they planted the seed and Ling watered it every day. He watched and waited to see what would emerge.

Within three weeks the other boys began to talk about their seeds and how they were growing into plants. Ling kept checking his pot, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks went by, then 4 and 5 and 6; still nothing. The others were talking about theirs, Ling did not have a plant, he felt like a failure. After 6 months there was still nothing. Ling new he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees, tall plants, but he had nothing. He didn’t say anything to his friends, he just kept waiting for his seed to grow.

The Year finally went by and all the young people of the kingdom brought their plants for the emperor to inspect. Ling told his mother he was not going with an empty pot, she simply said,  “be honest with what happened.” Ling felt sick in the stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When he arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants in the children’s pots. He put his empty pot on the floor and the others laughed. A few felt sorry for him and said, “Hey nice try.”

The Emperor arrived and surveyed the room. He greeted the young people. Ling was hiding at the back of the great hall. “My what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown,” the Emperor said, “Today, one of you will be appointed heir!”

All of a sudden, the Emperor spotted Ling at the back of the hall with an empty pot. He ordered guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified, “The Emperor knows I have failed and I will be killed,” Thought Ling. When Ling got to front the Emperor asked him his name ( the kids were laughing and making fun). But the Emperor asked them to be quiet. He looked at Ling and announced to the crowd, “Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!”

Ling couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t even grow a seed! Then Emperor said, “One year ago today I gave a seed to every one of you, with the instruction to take and plant and water it. You were to bring it back today.  BUT I gave you all boiled seeds that wouldn’t grow – all of you except Ling have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found the seed would not grow you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one who had the courage and honesty to bring back an empty pot with my seed.  Therefore, he is to be new emperor!”

Ling spent the next few years being trained for the position of emperor.

It is a true saying: “Truthfulness leads to righteousness. A man who keeps on telling the truth becomes a truthful person.”