Thursday, May 31, 2007

The Emperor's Seed.

Post 217 - - - - - - Thursday, 31st May, 2007.

Hi Everyone ~~ I hope you have had a great day, or are about
to have one. It has been a cold day here, so I have been indoors,
cooking up some Pea and Ham soup. I also cooked a turkey
roast with roast vegies and other vegetables, so I am late getting
started here tonight. I hope I can stay awake.

Tonight's story is called The Emperor's Seed. Hope you enjoy !!
The author is unknown.

Once there was an emperor in the Far East who was growing old
and kneww it was coming time to choose his successor. Instead
of choosing one of his assistants or one of his own children, he
decided to do something different.

He called all the young people in the kingdom together one day.
He said, "It has come time for me to step down and to 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 special seed today. One very special seed.
you to go home, 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 to me, and the one I
choose will be the next emperor of the kingdom !"

There was one boy named Ling who was there that day and he,
like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly
told his mother the whole story. She helped him get a pot and
some planting soil, and he planted the seed, but nothing ever
grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by.Still nothing.

By now, others were talking about their plants, but Ling didn't
have a plant and felt like a failure. Six 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 she encouraged
him to go, and to take his pot, and to be honest about what had
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 all the other youths. They were beautiful, in all shapes and
sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other
kids 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 the 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. 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 home, 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 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 nes emperor.
<><><>

A man was beaten up by robbers on a road to London. He lay there,
half dead and in bad shape. A Vicar came along, saw him and passed
by on the other side of the street. Next, a monk came by but also
walked quickly on the other side. Finally a social worker came along
looked at the man and said, "Whoever did this needs help."
<><><>

What's the quietest place in the world ? The complaint department
at the parachute packing plant.


Did you hear about the idiot who walked around the world ?
He drowned.
<><>

Do you know how you can tell the really stupid guy at the airport?
He's the one throwing bread to the planes.

Sorry Folks, the Sandman is calling me - - in fact he's yelling at me.
I hope the rest of the week is good for you. Cheers, Merle..

Post 217 - - - - - - Thursday, 31at May, 2007.
<><><><>

14 comments:

Tammy said...

Stay warm my friend...sounds like you are making plenty of comfort foods!
:)

Gledwood said...

That Emperor one is great. Ling is a bit like me. Sometimes I can be dumbfoundingly honest... I look back and say to myself why didn't you just LIE like anyone else would have done!! Don't think I'll ever get to be emperor of China for this though...

as for the social worker one... what CAN I say ...

Many thanks for your comment. I'm going for a look at those Aussie blogs right now!

G

Gledwood said...

Hey I notice you already know Olive. Isn't she fantastic!!

Gledwood said...

... and Gattina ... Man! Isn't this a small world ...!!...

Val said...

Turkey! What's the occasion, Merle? Enjoy that cold weather, yesterday it was so delightful to be driving in pelting down rain, and having to have the car heater on. (Non-Victorians might not understand this...)

Lee said...

You done it again, Merle...made me hungry! ;)

I bought myself a little leg of lamb this morning, so I'll have it tomorrow.

The cold weather has hit us yet. I wish it would hurry up! I love the winters here.

Jim said...

Hi Merle -- I like ham and pea soup, but not turkey roast with roast vegies and other vegetables very well.
Mrs. Jim is a social worker, I won't tell her this one.

Stay warm.
..

Janice said...

I love 'The Emperor's Seed' story! Thank you for sharing it. Mmmmmm, is it split pea and ham soup? My dear mother used to make that and it sounds so good right now!
Blessings,
Janice

Puss-in-Boots said...

Hi Merle, nice parable in the Emperor's Seed.

I only have one more week of full time work to go. By the time I've finished, it will be two days of five weeks. It's enough to make me retire now!

Have a lovely weekend.

Hugs

Granny said...

The Emperor's Seed is a wonderful story, one to tell to children.

Have a great weekend.

Oh, and thanks for the comment about Elcie's graduation.

Joy Des Jardins said...

Yum...ham and pea soup....one of my favorites Merle. Roast turkey and veggies...love that too. You are always making some delicious stuff...and always making me hungry.

I hope you stay warm Merle...it's been in the 70's and 80's here. Actually, I much prefer the cooler weather. Have a beautiful day dear friend...and a wonderful coming weekend.

Jeanette said...

Hi Merle, Im Back took me a couple days to get over and feel myself again. pea soup yummy. I had chicken and veg soup tonight. The Emperor's seed, great story.. sitting here with heater on. Take care Keep warm..

audrey` said...

You're a very great cook, Merle =)

Meow (aka Connie) said...

Yummy, Merle. I've never made real pea and ham soup, but I'm gonna, really soon !! Just reading what you have cooked is making my mouth water !!
Take care, Meow