The Empty Pot

Adapted from a Chinese folktale

Once upon a time in China, there was a kind emperor who loved gardening. As he grew old, he needed to choose a successor. Instead of picking someone from his court, he gave every child in the kingdom a single flower seed. He announced, “Whoever grows the best flower in six months will become the next emperor!”

All the children ran home excitedly to plant their seeds—everyone except a boy named Ping. He planted his seed in rich soil, gave it water, and placed it in the sunlight. But nothing grew.

Weeks passed. Still nothing. Other children were growing beautiful flowers, but Ping’s pot was still empty. His friends laughed and told him to get a new seed, but Ping said, “The emperor gave me this seed. I must be honest.”

After six months, all the children came to the palace with their colorful flowers. Ping stood quietly with his empty pot. The emperor looked at all the children, then stopped in front of Ping.

“Why is your pot empty?” he asked gently.

“I tried my best,” Ping said, “but nothing grew.”

The emperor smiled and announced, “You shall be the next emperor! You see, the seeds I gave were boiled and could not grow. You were the only one honest enough not to replace the seed. That is the kind of leader we need.”

Moral: Honesty and courage are more valuable than success gained through cheating.