Flower of Integrity 诚信的花朵

Flower of Integrity 

诚信的花朵

An aging king had no kid and decided to adopt a son as the prince. He launched a competition and 10 cleverest boys made it to the top.

一位年迈的国王没有孩子，他决定收养一个孩子做王子。于是，国王组织了一场比赛，选拔出10个最聪明的孩子。

The King told them, “Each of you can take a seed from me. The one who can nurture it into the most magnificent flower after three months will become the prince.”

国王对这10个孩子说，“今天给你们一粒种子，三个月后，看谁能给我种出最美丽的花，谁就是王子了。”

Three months later, the ten kids went to the palace with their flowerpots.

三个月后，十个孩子捧着花盆来到了王宫。

The King asked, “Are those what came out of the seeds I gave you?” All replied, “Yes,your majesty.” 

国王问孩子们：“这是我给你们的那粒种子长出来的吗？”孩子都回答说：“是的，陛下。”

With a smile on his face, the King didn’t say anything and just moved down the line until the last boy. Different from others, the kid had an empty flowerpot.

国王没有说话，只是微笑着逐个走过每一个手捧盛开鲜花花盆的孩子，走向最后一个孩子。这个孩子和其他九个不同，他手里捧着的是一个空花盆。

The King’s smile vanished, and he asked, “What did you do with the seed I gave you?”

国王收敛了笑容，问道：“我给你的种子怎么了？”

Drowning in tears, he replied with a trembling sound, “I planted it, watered it every day with care and attention your majesty. I even slept with the flowerpot in my arms every night, but it still failed to sprout. ”

男孩子眼泪汪汪，颤抖着声音说道：“陛下，我每天辛勤的浇水，细心的照顾，即使睡觉，也把花盆搂在怀里，但是，我却什么也没种出来。”

Hearing this, the King laughed, “The seeds I gave you were boiled. How can boiled seeds turn into flowers?”

国王听了哈哈大笑到：“孩子，我给你们的都是炒熟的种子呀，你怎么会种出花草呢？”

He went to the throne with the boy, and announced, “All of you are smart, but fora king, integrity is more important than smartness.”

他带着这个捧着空花盆的男孩走向了宝座，并且宣布道：“孩子们，你们都很聪明，但作为一个国王，诚实比聪明更重要”。