This story is from China. It is about a very good honest gardener.
Ping lived on a farm in ancient China. He loved plants. He was very good at growing plants and there was no plant that he did not try to grow. If he went to the market, he would look out for different flower seeds he could buy and bring home to grow. If he went to a friends house he would look out for new plants. If he found any, he would ask and beg his friend to give him the seeds. He would grow all sorts of flowers and vegetables and give it to all his friends and neighbors.
In those days, here was a King. He did not have any children and wanted to find somebody who would be King after him. He thought long and hard about the kind of person who would be the best King. The King's job is very important. He has to be smart and take care of all his people. He should be a good honest man who would not cheat his people. So the King decided to have a test. He took some seeds, put them in a pot and heated the pot for a long time. Once seeds are cooked, plants will not come out of them. Then the king distributed the seeds to people. He said, "Anybody who can grow the best plant from the seeds will become the next King".
Ping took the seeds and tried to grow them. They would not grow! Finally he was so sad and brought the seeds back to the king. When he came to the Kings court, he saw that there were many people who brought big plants with them, with beautiful flowers. Ping felt very sad.
The King checked out all the plants and said "Ping, you are the next King because you are the only honest man. Only you did not cheat by replacing the seeds I gave with good seeds"!
Ping lived on a farm in ancient China. He loved plants. He was very good at growing plants and there was no plant that he did not try to grow. If he went to the market, he would look out for different flower seeds he could buy and bring home to grow. If he went to a friends house he would look out for new plants. If he found any, he would ask and beg his friend to give him the seeds. He would grow all sorts of flowers and vegetables and give it to all his friends and neighbors.
In those days, here was a King. He did not have any children and wanted to find somebody who would be King after him. He thought long and hard about the kind of person who would be the best King. The King's job is very important. He has to be smart and take care of all his people. He should be a good honest man who would not cheat his people. So the King decided to have a test. He took some seeds, put them in a pot and heated the pot for a long time. Once seeds are cooked, plants will not come out of them. Then the king distributed the seeds to people. He said, "Anybody who can grow the best plant from the seeds will become the next King".
Ping took the seeds and tried to grow them. They would not grow! Finally he was so sad and brought the seeds back to the king. When he came to the Kings court, he saw that there were many people who brought big plants with them, with beautiful flowers. Ping felt very sad.
The King checked out all the plants and said "Ping, you are the next King because you are the only honest man. Only you did not cheat by replacing the seeds I gave with good seeds"!
