DISCLAIMER: This story is NOT mine.. But I found it very interesting and I hope you will enjoy it..
An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, 'It is time for me to step down and 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 seed today. One very special seed. I want you to 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, and the one I choose will be next emperor!'
There was this boy named Ling. Like the others, he also received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After six months, there was still nothing in his pot.
After a year, 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 his mother insisted and he took an empty pit to the palace. There, he can see the variety of plants grown by other youths. They were beautiful. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many other kids laughed at him.
When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. 'My, what great plants, tress, flowers you have grown,' said the emperor. 'Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor! Suddenly, he spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front.
The emperor asked his name.' My name is Ling,' he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked them 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. He couldn't even grow his seed. Then the emperor said, 'One year ago today, I gave eveyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, 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 find 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 new emperor!!'
'Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. And a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes a truthful person. Falsehood leads to Al-Fajur (i.e wickedness, evil doing) and Al-Fajur leads to the Hell Fire, and a man may keep on telling lies till he is written before Allah, a liar' -Sahih al-Bukhari-
#Honesty is the best policy ;)
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