Main Forum
| Post Reply
|
Long but kind of neat  |
|
Play gin-rummy tournaments online
|
| It's now: Oct 21, 8:23pm EST |
Long but kind of neat
Posted by
PEGASUS
(VIP) 6 Aug 2005 10:02am
The Emperor's Seeds...
An emperor was growing old and knew it was time to choose
His successor. He called the young people in the kingdom
together and said, 'It is time for me to step down and to
choose the next emperor.'
'I am giving each one of you a seed today. I want you to plant
the seed, water it and come back one year from today with
what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge
what you bring, and choose who will be the next emperor!'
Ling received a seed like the others. 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 carefully
watered it. Every day he watered it and watched 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. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing
grew. Three , four, five weeks went by, but nothing sprouted.
By now, others were talking about their plants. Ling didn't
have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by;
still nothing grew in Ling's pot. He believed he had killed his
seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had
nothing. He just kept hoping for his seed to grow.
After a year all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants
to the emperor for his inspection. Ling told his mother that he
wasn't going to take an empty pot, but his Mother said he must
be honest about what happened. Ling felt sick to his stomach,
but he knew his Mother was right.
When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants
grown by the other youths. They were all shapes and sizes.
Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the others
laughed at him.
A few felt sorry for him and said, 'Hey, nice try.' When the
emperor arrived, he greeted the young people and then
surveyed the room. Ling 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 his 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. The emperor 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, plant it, water it, and
bring it back to me today. I gave you all boiled seeds, which
would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me
trees, plants and flowers. When you found 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 new emperor!'
Plant honesty, you will reap trust. Plant goodness, you will
reap friends. Plant humility, you will reap greatness. Plant
perseverance, you will reap victory. Plant consideration, you
will reap harmony. Plant hard work, you will reap success.
Plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation. Plant
openness, you will reap intimacy. Plant patience, you will
reap improvements. Plant faith, you will reap miracles.
But if you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust. If you plant
selfishness, you will reap loneliness, if you plant pride, you
will reap destruction. If you plant envy, you will reap trouble.
If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation. If you plant
bitterness, you will reap isolation. If you plant greed, you will
reap loss. If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies. If you
plant worries, you will reap wrinkles. If you plant sin, you
will reap guilt.
What you plant now will determine what you will reap
tomorrow. The seeds you now scatter will make your life
worse or better in the future. It may also have a profound
effect on those around you. Yes, someday, you will enjoy the
fruits..... or you will pay for the choices you plant today.
- Author Unknown -
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply to this topic
|
Play gin-rummy tournaments online
At GameColony.com you can play games of skill only -- play for free or play for $prizes!.
According to the statutes of most states in the United States, gambling is defined as: "risking something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance". (Also see No Gambling!). The skill (as opposed to chance) is predominant in games of skill. Playing games of skill for $prizes, therefore, has nothing to do with gambling as it is not a contest of chance -- the more skillful player will win far more often. The chance element of a 'gamble' is either insignificant or missing. When players compete in tournaments or games of skill for $prizes -- it is "competitive entertainment" rather then "gambling". The more skilled winner will always win more matches, tournaments and $prizes.
|
|
