The Empty Pot - Chinese

My name is Ping, and long ago, in a land of winding rivers and misty mountains, my greatest joy was the feel of cool earth in my hands. I lived in a small village in China, and everyone knew that anything I planted would burst into life with the most beautiful blossoms and sweetest fruits. My garden was my world, a tapestry of colors and scents. Our Emperor, a wise and old man who also adored flowers, was growing concerned. He had no children to take his place, and he needed to find a successor who was not just clever, but truly worthy. One day, on the 1st of March, a royal decree was announced that would change my life forever, a challenge that came to be known as the story of The Empty Pot. The Emperor declared a contest for all the children in the kingdom: he would give each child a single, special seed. Whoever could grow the most beautiful flower from that seed within one year would become the next Emperor. My heart soared with a mixture of excitement and hope; this was a challenge made for me. I rushed to the palace with hundreds of other children, my hands trembling as I received my seed from the Emperor himself. It felt like holding the future of the entire kingdom in my small palm.

I returned home, my mind racing with plans. I chose my finest pot, a beautiful blue ceramic one my grandmother had given me. I filled it with the richest, darkest soil from my garden, soil I knew was full of life. Gently, I planted the Emperor’s seed, patting the earth around it like a soft blanket. I watered it carefully, not too much and not too little, and placed it in a sunny spot where it could soak up the warm rays. Every single day, I tended to my pot. I watched it from the moment the sun rose to the moment it set. Weeks turned into a month, but nothing happened. The soil remained still and silent. I started to worry. I moved the seed to a new pot with even better soil, thinking perhaps it needed a different home. I sang to it, whispered words of encouragement, and made sure it was never too hot or too cold. Still, not a single green sprout appeared. As the months passed, a dreadful feeling grew in my stomach. All around my village, I saw other children carrying pots overflowing with magnificent flowers—towering peonies, vibrant chrysanthemums, and delicate orchids. Their parents bragged about the incredible blossoms their children had grown. My pot, however, remained stubbornly empty. I felt a deep sense of shame and failure. My friends suggested I buy a flower and pretend it grew from the Emperor's seed, but I couldn't. My father, seeing my sadness, put a hand on my shoulder. He reminded me that I had done my very best and that my best was enough. He told me that honesty was its own kind of beautiful garden, and I knew he was right. I had to face the Emperor with the truth, no matter how much it scared me.

The day of judgment arrived, and the path to the palace was a river of color, filled with children carrying their spectacular floral creations. I walked among them, clutching my empty pot, my face burning with embarrassment. I felt small and foolish. When I entered the grand hall, the Emperor walked slowly among the rows of stunning flowers, his face unreadable. He looked at each plant without a single word of praise. When he finally reached me, standing at the very back, he stopped. A murmur went through the crowd as everyone stared at my barren pot. 'What is this?' the Emperor asked, his voice echoing in the silent hall. 'You brought me an empty pot?'. My voice trembled as I explained, 'Your Majesty, I tried my very best. I planted the seed you gave me and cared for it every day for a year, but it would not grow.'. To my complete astonishment, a smile spread across the Emperor's face. He raised my arm high for everyone to see and announced, 'I have found him! I have found the next Emperor!'. He then explained that the contest was not about gardening, but about courage and honesty. The seeds he had given everyone had been cooked, so it was impossible for them to grow. He had been waiting for the one child brave enough to tell the truth. That day, I learned that true success isn't always about what you can show on the outside, but about the integrity you hold on the inside. My empty pot was fuller than any other because it was filled with honesty. This story has been told for generations, a simple reminder that courage and truthfulness are the most valuable seeds a person can plant. It teaches us that doing the right thing, even when it’s hard, is what makes a person truly great, a lesson that continues to inspire children and leaders all over the world to build a future rooted in honesty.