Once upon a time in ancient China, there lived a boy named Ping. Ping adored flowers and spent hours tending to them in his small garden. His dream was to grow the most beautiful flower in the entire kingdom.
One day, an announcement echoed throughout the land: the emperor was seeking a successor, and to find the worthy candidate, a special competition would be held. Each child in the kingdom would receive a seed to plant, and whoever could grow the most exquisite flower would become the next emperor.
Filled with excitement and determination, Ping planted his seed in a pot, diligently watering and caring for it day after day. However, despite his efforts, the seed refused to sprout. Ping became increasingly worried as the days passed, and his pot remained barren.
As the competition day arrived, Ping reluctantly carried his empty pot to the palace, surrounded by children proudly displaying their vibrant blossoms. Ping felt ashamed and embarrassed by his failure while others boasted about their flourishing flowers.
When it was time to present their plants to the emperor, Ping nervously approached the throne with his empty pot. The emperor surveyed the array of flowers before him, puzzled by Ping's empty container.
"Why is your pot empty?" the emperor inquire.
With a heavy heart, Ping confessed, "I have cared for my seed with all my love and effort, but it refused to grow. I have failed to produce a flower."
The emperor smiled warmly at Ping's honesty, realizing that he possessed a rare quality far more valuable than any flower – integrity.
Unbeknownst to the children, the seeds distributed by the emperor had been cooked and rendered incapable of sprouting. Ping's empty pot revealed the truth, and he was declared the winner of the competition.
In the end, Ping's honesty and integrity earned him not only the emperor's respect but also the admiration of the entire kingdom. And though his pot may have been empty, his heart was full of pride, knowing that he had stayed true to himself.
Here are some of the harder words from the story along with their definitions:
- 1- Exquisite - extremely beautiful or delicate.
- 2-Barren - unable to produce offspring; not fertile.
- 3- Diligently - showing care and effort in one's work or duties.
- 4- Puzzled - confused or perplexed.
- 5- Admiration - a feeling of respect and approval
- 6- Announcement - a public or formal notice about an event or occurrence.
- 7- Reluctantly - with hesitation or unwillingness.
- 8- Boasted - talked with excessive pride or self-satisfaction about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities.
- 9- Confessed - admitted or declared something that one finds difficult to acknowledge.
- 10- Unbeknownst - without the knowledge of someone.
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