The King & The Successor!

Once upon a time a King who was growing old decided to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his ministers 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 King. I have decided to choose one among you.”

The kids were shocked! But the King 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 the next King!”

One boy named James was there that day and he, like the others, 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 about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

James kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by. Still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants but James didn’t have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by-still nothing in James’s pot. He just knew he had killed his seed.

Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. James 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 King for inspection. James told his mother that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But honest about what happened, James felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When James arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful-in all shapes and sizes. James put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, “Hey nice try.”

When the King arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. James just tried to hide in the back. “My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown,” said the King. “Today, one of you will be appointed the next King!” All of a sudden, the King spotted James at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. James was terrified. “The King knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!”

When James got to the front, the King asked his name. “My name is James,” he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The King asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at James, and then announced to the crowd, “Behold your new King! His name is James!” James couldn’t believe it. James couldn’t even grow his seed. How could he be the new King? Then the King said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone 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 James, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. James 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 King!”

Dear Reader, have you ever faced such a difficult situation but still you told the Truth? Please share your story with everyone. Thanks.