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welcome to storyline online brought to
you by the sag-aftra foundation i'm rami
malek
and today i'm going to be reading to you
one of my favorite books this is the
empty pot
written and illustrated by Demi a long
time ago in China there was a boy named
ping who loved flowers anything he
planted burst into bloom up came flowers
bushes and even big fruit trees as if by
magic
everyone in the kingdom loved flowers
too
they planted them everywhere and the air
smelled like perfume
the Emperor loved birds and animals
flowers most of all and he tended his
own garden every day but the Emperor was
very old he needed to choose a successor
to the throne who would his successor be
and how would the emperor choose
because the Emperor loved flowers so
much he decided to let the flowers
choose the next day a proclamation was
issued all the children in the land were
to come to the palace there they would
be given special flower seeds
by the Emperor whoever can show me their
best in a year's time he said will
succeed me to the throne
this news created great excitement
throughout the land children from all
over the country swarmed to the palace
to get their flower seeds all the
parents wanted their children to be
chosen Emperor and all the children
hoped they would be chosen too when ping
received his seed from the Emperor he
was the happiest child of all he was
sure he could grow the most beautiful
flower ping filled a flowerpot with the
rich soil he planted the seed in it very
carefully he watered it every day I
couldn't wait to see it sprout grow and
blossom into a beautiful flower
day after day past
but nothing grew in his pot ping was
very worried he put new soil into a
bigger pot then he transferred the seed
into the rich black soil another two
months he waited still nothing happened
by and by the whole year past spring
came and all the children had put on
their best clothes to greet the emperor
they rushed to the palace with their
beautiful flowers eagerly hoping to be
chosen ping was ashamed of his empty pot
he thought the other children would
laugh at him because for once he
couldn't get a flower to grow his clever
friend ran by holding a great big plant
ping he said you're not really going to
the Emperor with an empty pot are you
couldn't you grow a great big flower
like mine
I've grown lots of flowers better than
yours ping said it's just this seed that
won't grow
Ping's father overheard this and said
you did your best and your best is good
enough to present to the Emperor
holding the empty pot in his hands ping
went straight away to the palace the
Emperor was looking at the flowers
slowly one by one how beautiful all the
flowers were but the Emperor was
frowning and did not say a word
finally he came to ping ping hung his
head in shame expecting to be punished
the Emperor asked him why did you bring
an empty pot ping started to cry and
replied I planted the seed you gave me
and I watered it every day but it didn't
sprout I put it in a better pot with
better soil but still it didn't sprout I
tended it all year long but nothing grew
so today I had to bring an empty pot
without a flower it was the best I could
do
when the Emperor heard these words a
smile slowly spread over his face and he
put his arm around ping
then he exclaimed to one and all I have
found him I have found the one person
worthy of being Emperor where you got
your seeds from I do not know for the
seeds I gave you had all been cooked so
it was impossible for any of them to
grow I admire Ping's great courage to
appear before me with the empty truth
and now I reward him with my entire
kingdom and make him emperor of all the
land
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what I love about the empty pot is it
does allow me to look inside and realize
just how much truth means because
ultimately the only consequences are
feeling like you're courageous and
honorable and a bigger person and I
guarantee you the truth always wins so
thank you to the empty pot for such a
strong message keep telling the truth
thank you guys for watching storyline
online make sure to check out all of our
stories keep watching and definitely
keep reading
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[Applause]
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