Chao Jins Heir - Camp fire stories and s'more

Chao Jins' Heir

(Full Audio Version of this Story is located at the bottom)

Chao Jin was one of the best kings you probably never heard of. The reason he was so great is because he served his kingdom for his people and not for himself. He did have one of the largest of dwellings and had many people serve him, only because he had dedicated almost all of his time figuring out ways to improve the quality of life for his people. So that left him with no time to take care of his own garden and hunt for his own food. He knew the names of all the people who served him and the names of everyone in their families. He made sure that they were also very well taken care of. Mainly because they were taking time to care for all the things that he couldn’t, and they didn’t have time to take care of themselves.

Chao Jin’s kingdom spread far and wide. He gained his kingdom not through war or violence, but through simply speaking with other kingdoms across the land. When those other kingdoms started seeing how well they had been treated they often relinquished their land to Chao Jin and his rule. People in his land were never hungry, never had to feel the hate of war, and prospered so much that everyone in his land had the ability to pursue whatever dreams they wanted.

Chao Jin realized that because he spent so much time working for the people and making sure that their lives were the best he could give them, he never had time to get married and start a family of his own. There was nobody to pass his kingdom and knowledge down to.

After pondering for a long time of how he was going to keep his kingdom safe and running as it is after he is gone, he came up with a brilliant idea. He was going to find someone in his kingdom who had the same values as him. He then would take that person under his wing and teach them everything he knew to run a great kingdom.

So, Chao Jin had posted throughout his kingdom that there was going to be a contest. The winner of the contest was going to become his legal heir to his kingdom.

Some people were scared and nervous at this idea because there could never be anyone as great at running a kingdom like Chao Jin. His heir would probably run the kingdom into the ground and serve only for himself.

Chao Jin assured his kingdom that this contest would make sure to find the right person to take over for him after he is gone.

The contest simply stated:

All those who enter in the contest must be no younger than 8 years of age and no older than 10 years of age and must be present at the front of Chao Jin’s dwelling on the morning of the full moon.

That was it. No other rules or regulations were set for the contest.

Families from all over his kingdom with a child younger than 10 years of age but older than 8 years of age made their way to Chao Jin’s dwelling. There were literally hundreds of kids all lined up in front of Chao Jins dwelling that morning.

Morning broke and Chao Jin came out to greet the kids and their families. He addressed the crowd.

“I will be giving each one of these glorious children a task. Whoever accomplishes this task will be welcomed into my heart and home. To learn from me all that there is to become the best leader that they can become, and hopefully challenge me to become even better in my remaining years.”

Everyone seemed excited to find out what the task was and begin as soon as possible.

Chao Jin addressed the crowd again. “I will be giving each child a seed. In 5 years time, on the eve of this full moon, each child will present what their seed has produced.” Whichever child presents the best product of this seed, will be welcome into my house.”

Everyone looked at one another saying, “That’s it? That’s all he is going to do to pick the heir of his kingdom? He must be going crazy in his old age!”

So, one by one each child was presented a seed from Chao Jin’s helpers. Each family then hurried off to their respected homes to plant the seed and take the best care they could for the seed.

Several months have passed and each family that received a seed noticed that nothing was growing. They had fertilized the plant, watered it and some even sang to it…but nothing was happening.

Several families started to worry and figured they were given a bad seed and planted another one instead.

As more and more families found what others were doing, they started doing the same thing. They all planted a seed that started to grow. Each one of the families prided themselves on how big and strong their plants have become. Some of the families even started getting a tribe of followers backing them. Helping them take care of their seeds.

5 years have gone by, and the eve of the full moon was closely approaching. Families from all over Chao Jins kingdom started making their journeys to the front of his dwelling to present their magnificent plants.

Chao Jin had stepped out of his dwelling with wide eyes and with a great smile on his face. He looked around seeing all that the children have accomplished with in the 5 years. He walked up and down the rows of kids presenting their extraordinary plants and trees. Congratulating each and every one of them for a job well done.

Chao Jin had finally gotten through everyone that had come to present their accomplishments. He took his place in front of the crowd and began to speak.

“Each one of you had an extraordinary task ahead of you. Each one of you had the help from your families and friends to take a tiny seed and grow it into all these glorious plants you have presented to me today. I want you all to be proud of yourselves, proud of your families for helping you accomplish this task. I would have a difficult decision a head of me to choose which one of you is going to be my legal heir. However, unknowing to all of you. You have made the decision for me. There is but one child amongst you that will be joining me and eventually taking over my kingdom. Before I announce who that child will be, I want you all to look around at all you have accomplished. It is not just me who has made this kingdom great, but all of you. When you have a task to do and work together anything can be done. However, there is one thing that makes a true leader. One thing that makes others want to follow someone else. One thing that makes others want to be better. With that I would like to present to you the winner of the contest.”

Chao Jin walked down to the crowd, looked up and down the rows at each one of the contestants and stopped for a moment. With an almost saddened look he saw a small dark-haired girl standing there with just a pot of dirt and a tiny stem of a plant in her hands. She was dressed in what most would say, was a little more than a burlap sack with some hand stitched designs on it with a shell necklace.

The small dark-haired girl was standing there with tears in her eyes as Chao Jin approached. He stopped to speak with her.

“Little girl, why are you crying? Asked Chao Jin.

The little girl replied, “I have failed you; I took the best care of the seed that I could, but all that had grown from it was this tiny plant. I made sure to fertilize it and water it every day. I even spoke to it words of encouragement, but it never grew, not until just recently.”

Chao Jin asked the girl, “You did this every day for 5 years and didn’t give up? Even when you saw everyone else had these great big plants and trees?”

“Yes, Sir.” replied the little girl. Still sniffling and fighting back her tears. “I have failed you; I am so sorry sir; I don’t know what happened.”

Chao Jin had a Great Big Smile on his face.

“Little girl what is your name?”

“Dhara Yi” replied the girl.

Chao Jin asked Dhara Yi to follow him up in front of the crowd. Everyone started to mumble, some even started to laugh, noticing that all she was carrying was a pot of dirt with a tiny stem of a plant inside.

Chao Jin then began to address the crowd.

“This little girls’ name is Dhara Yi. She has come to present me her plant. She has told me that she has fertilized this plant, watered it and even spoke encouraging words to it, yet it didn’t grow for 5 years, until just recently it started to grow.”

By this time Dhara Yi had her head down in embarrassment. Tears running down her cheeks.

“She will be the one welcome into my house!”

A shocked look fell across the face of everyone in the crowd. None more shocked than Dhara Yi.

“You see,” Chao Jin began to speak again, “The real test of a true leader is to never give up, even when nothing seems to be happening. To keep trying, even though all seems lost. Most importantly, to be honest when everyone else is telling lies.”

People began to mumble around in the crowd, looking at one another. Knowing very well that each one of them have replaced the seed with another to try and impress Chao Jin with a magnificent plant.

Chao Jin continued, “The seeds each one of you received was that of a Bamboo Tree. A Bamboo Tree needs time to grow. It will not leave its place in the earth until it is ready, until it has enough love and nurturing from its surroundings to break through the ground. Once it does, it will grow faster and become stronger than anything else around it. It can be used in so many ways to accomplish so many things. It is only within those first 5 years of time, patience and love will the bamboo gather enough strength to accomplish all these things. The fact that Dhara Yi has given this seed all that it needs, and was honest about what she had done, makes her the right one to become the heir to my kingdom.”

Being the great leader that he is, Chao Jin continued to speak.

“This does not mean that everyone else did anything wrong. You all had a task ahead of you to accomplish. Each one of you thought you were doing the right thing. Each one of you gave your full effort into accomplishing something great. Many of you came together in a common goal. That is exactly what this land needs. People like you to work hard and come together, to accomplish great things. However, you all did those things for your own benefit. In hopes one of your children will become my heir. Dhara Yi has proven, with this tiny stem of a plant, that she will be patient with you, she will provide all the nourishment you need, she will give you words of encouragement when all seems lost, and most importantly be honest with you, so that one day you too will grow fast, become strong, and find your purpose within this world.”

With that the crowd erupted in a joyful celebration. They even started chanting Dhara Yi’s name.

As a reminder of the lesson Chao Jin had taught his people that day, he had everyone plant their extraordinary plants and trees together in a garden, just outside his dwelling, leaving a space in the center for Dhara Yi’s plant.

Days later Chao Jin and Dhara Yi planted that tiny stem of a plant, and in just 3 months, a huge Bamboo Tree stood. Towering over all other plants and trees.