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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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