The Empty Pot

Long ago in China, there lived a boy named Ping. Ping loved flowers. Whatever he planted burst into bloom. He grew peonies as big as plates and orchids as bright as rainbows. He had a “green thumb,” as people say.

The Emperor of the land was very old. He had no children, and he needed to choose a successor to take his place. The Emperor also loved flowers more than anything. So, he decided to hold a contest to find the most honest and dedicated child in the kingdom.

He called all the children to the palace. “I will give each of you one special seed,” announced the Emperor. “Take it home. Plant it. Water it. In one year, bring it back to me. Whoever grows the most beautiful flower will be the next Emperor.”

Ping was so excited. He took his seed and ran home. He filled his favorite clay pot with the richest, blackest soil. He planted the seed carefully. “I will grow the biggest flower for the Emperor!” he promised.

He watered the pot every day. He watched it closely. Days passed. Weeks passed. But nothing grew. The soil remained bare. Ping worried. “Maybe the soil is bad,” he thought. He moved the seed to a bigger pot with fresh soil from the garden. He added fertilizer. He placed it in the best sunny spot. Still, nothing happened. A tiny sprout did not appear.

Spring came, then summer, then autumn. Ping’s pot was still empty. He felt like a failure. By the end of the year, it was time to return to the palace. Ping cried to his father. “I cannot go! My pot is empty. Everyone else will have beautiful flowers.” His father looked at him kindly. “Ping,” he said, “you did your best. Your best is good enough. Go to the Emperor and tell him the truth. That is the honorable thing to do.”

Ping wiped his tears. He took his empty pot and walked to the palace. The palace hall was filled with hundreds of children. And oh, what a sight! They held pots bursting with giant red flowers, yellow sunflowers, and purple lilies. It looked like a garden. The children laughed when they saw Ping’s empty pot. Ping stood quietly, head bowed in shame.

The Emperor walked down the line. He looked at the beautiful flowers with a frown on his face. He did not look happy. Finally, he came to Ping. “Why did you bring me an empty pot?” asked the Emperor gently.

Ping started to cry. “I am sorry, Your Majesty,” he sobbed. “I planted the seed you gave me. I watered it every day. I gave it the best soil. I tried everything. But it just wouldn’t grow. I couldn’t bring myself to swap it for another seed, because that would be lying. So I brought you my empty pot.”

A hush fell over the room. Suddenly, the Emperor smiled. He smiled from ear to ear. He put his hand on Ping’s shoulder. “I have found him!” shouted the Emperor. “I have found the one worthy of being Emperor!”

The other children were confused. “But his pot is empty!” they cried. “Yes,” said the Emperor. “The seeds I gave you all were boiled. They were cooked. It was impossible for them to grow. You all threw away my seed and planted others to impress me. Only Ping had the courage and honesty to bring me the truth.”

And so, Ping, the honest boy with the empty pot, became the new Emperor of China and ruled with wisdom for many years.

Moral of the Story: Honesty creates the strongest foundation for success. Truth is more beautiful than the brightest flower.

Moral of the Story: Honesty creates the strongest foundation for success.