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 3 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.  3 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.  6 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 

his Mother said he must be 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 grown by the other youths.  They were 

beautiful-in all shapes and sizes.  Ling put his empty pot on the 

floor and many of the other 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.

But:

If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust.

If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness.

If you plant pride, you will reap destruction.

If you plant envy, you will reap trouble.

If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation.

If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation.

If you plant greed, you will reap loss.

If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies.

If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles.

If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.

So be careful what you plant now, it will determine what you will 

reap tomorrow.

The seeds you now scatter will make life worse or better your life or 

the ones who will come after. Yes, someday, you will enjoy the 

fruits, or you will pay for the choices you plant today.

~ Author Unknown ~