The Emperor’s Quest
Once upon a time, the Emperor of China had no children so there was no one to become the next ruler when he was gone. The Emperor loved plants more than anything, everyone knew this and so they were not surprised when he issued a very special challenge:
“I will hold a contest to choose my heir,” he said. “Anyone who wishes to be Emperor must come to the palace to receive one royal seed. In six months, whoever grows the best plant will win the throne.”
On the day of the contest, crowds of children filled the palace courtyard. Each one went home proudly holding a small seed.
A boy named Jun was one of the children. He was the best gardener in his village. He loved caring for flowers and vegetables, and Jun entered the contest with great excitement.
Once home, Jun carefully planted his seed in a fine pot of fresh soil. He watered it every day, set it in the sun, and waited for it to grow.
Days turned into weeks. Jun watched and waited—but nothing happened. He began to hear other children. “My seed is growing!” one girl said proudly. “Mine already has leaves!” said another. Jun felt puzzled. Why isn’t my seed growing?
He tried everything—new soil, gentle watering, even talking to the seed. But still, the pot stayed empty. The other children started to laugh at Jun. “You can’t even grow your seed!” they teased.
When the six months were over, it was time to bring the plants to the palace. Jun felt so sad. “What will I do, Mother?” he asked. “Everyone else has beautiful plants, and I only have an empty pot.” His mother smiled kindly and said, “Jun, you did your best. Take your pot to the Emperor anyway. Tell him the truth.”
So Jun carried his empty pot all the way to the palace.
The courtyard was full of children showing off their tall trees, bright flowers, and fruit plants. The Emperor, dressed in shining silk robes, walked slowly down the rows, frowning as he looked at each pot.
When he came to Jun, he stopped. “Why have you brought me an empty pot?” he asked. Jun bowed low and said softly, “Your Majesty, I planted your seed and cared for it every day, but it never grew. I’m sorry.” For a moment, the courtyard was silent. Then the Emperor smiled. He raised his arms and said loudly,
“Everyone listen! Six months ago, I boiled all the seeds so that none of them could grow. Somehow, you all brought me plants—except Jun. Jun alone was honest and brave enough to bring me the truth. He placed his royal hand on Jun’s shoulder. “Jun,” the Emperor said, “you will be the next Emperor of China.”
On the day that Jun became Emperor of China, he ruled wisely until the end of his days. He always listened carefully to both sides of every problem. Emperor Jun wore a simple necklace every day which held the tiny black seed, as a reminder to always courageously hold fast to the truth in your heart.
The Wise Woman of Blue Mountain
Once upon a time there were two children who were very curious about The Great One. They asked their mother, their father, their friends – no one could answer their questions. But when they asked their grandfather, he told them to search out the Wise Woman who lived on Blue Mountain. While he showed them the winding path, he said: “Always stay on the path. Never leave this road for it is a long journey filled with many dangers.”
As they walked along, they soon came to a very wide, deep, and swiftly flowing stream. They looked up and down the river and could not see a bridge anywhere to cross. While they were wondering what to do, a frog hopped up to them and sang ”Good morning. Good morning. Good morning, how are you?”
The children answered, “Not very well, Frog. We are searching for the Wise Woman of Blue Mountain, but we cannot find a way over the river.”
Frog croaked, “Ga-go, ga-go. If there is no bridge, let’s build one. The three worked hard all day singing together and building the bridge.When it was finally finished, the sun was starting to set behind the mountain. Frog looked at the two friends and winked a large shining eye at them as it hopped merrily away. The delighted children laughed and skipped across the bridge.
Soon, the path led them into a dark forest. Just off the road, they spotted a patch of pretty purple violets. “Let’s pick some!” they said. Beyond the violets, they saw a field of bright orange tiger lilies—and before they knew it, they were lost. The path was nowhere to be seen! They sat on a pile of leaves, feeling sad. “We forgot what Grandfather told us,” they whispered.
In the darkness they heard a a soft, deep voice singing “Good evening, good evening, good evening how are you? Whoo Whoo.” The children looked high into the tree and saw a great brown owl with shining golden eyes watching them.
“Oh, I can see how you are. Whoo whoo. You have lost your way. May I help?”
“Yes, please!” cried the children.
“I can see in the dark and soar high above the trees,” said the owl. “Follow me—I will find your path.” The owl glided silently through the forest, leading them safely back to the road. As she turned to fly away, she winked one shining eye.
“She blinked just like Frog!” whispered the children.
The path was taking the children higher and higher up the mountain. The mountain grew colder and snow was falling. They climbed up and up and up. The path was very steep. The friends were so out of breath and tired, that they felt like dropping to the ground. They did not want to give up.
The children were so tired they wanted to stop, but they didn’t. Step by step, they climbed until—at last—they reached the top. There, in front of them, stood a tiny hut. The Wise Woman was standing in the door.way. She smiled warmly as she gathered the tired children into her arms and carried them inside.
“Welcome, my dear ones,” she said. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
By the cozy fire, she gave them raisin muffins and warm milk with honey. The children felt happy and safe. The Wise Woman tucked them into soft beds, and they fell asleep in moments.
When morning came, the Wise Woman moved gracefully like a gentle deer about the room. She was singing like a bird, her eyes shining like like the sun. There was something about her shining eyes that reminded them of Frog and Owl.
She smiled and said, “Please sit over here. I will answer your questions, and how you can find The Great One hiding inside your very own hearts.” The children clapped with joy—this was exactly why they had come to Blue Mountain.
After their visit with Wise Woman, they once again took to the path for the long journey home. This time they did not get distracted by the natural beauty that surrounded them. They did not leave the path. When they returned to their village, the two friends shared all they had learned—the songs, the meditation, and the wisdom of the Wise There was a joyous celebration with singing and dancing. But not far away in the shadows of the trees, the children thought they could see – just for a moment – Frog, Owl, and the Wise Woman of Blue Mountain.
Adapted from “Circle of Love, A Manual for Kindergarten Teachers”