The Emperor of China was growing old and had no son. He decided to hold a competition to choose his successor. So, he invited all the boys of the kingdom and distributed flower seeds to them. He announced that whoever grew the best plant would be the next emperor. The boys hopefully took the seeds home and planted them in pots. One of the boys, Ping, was considered the best gardener. He tried his best to grow his seed but nothing happened.
The seeds of the other boys quickly sprouted and grew. Finally, the day came to show the flowers to the Emperor. The Emperor looked at the green plants with a frown on his face. He saw Ping’s empty pot and smiled. The Emperor declared him the new Emperor of China. He said, “The seeds I gave you all were cooked, and thus could not grow.” Ping was rewarded for his honesty.
