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The Empty Pot read by Rami Malek

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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, but 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 rich soil. He planted the seed in it very carefully.

He watered it every day. He couldn’t wait to see it sprout, grow, and blossom into a beautiful flower!

Day after day passed, 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 passed. Spring came, and all the children 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!”

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.

792 Words

Summary

Find the Words

Useful Expressions

be going to be  (do)ing   達成することよりプロセスを重視したニュアンス
be going to (do)  プロセスより達成することを重視したニュアンス
one of ….   ~の1つ
I’m Rami Malek, and today I’m going to be reading to you one of my favorite books.

burst into bloom   一斉に花が咲く
Anything he planted burst into bloom.

as if by magic    魔法のように
Up came flowers, bushes, and even big fruit trees, as if by magic!

perfume   香水
They planted them everywhere, and the air smelled like perfume.

tend a garden   庭の手入れをする
The Emperor loved birds and animals, but flowers most of all, and he tended his own garden every day.

successor   継承者
throne   王位
He needed to choose a successor to the throne.

let   させる
Because the Emperor loved flowers so much, he decided to let the flowers choose.

proclamation   声明
issue   発令する
The next day a proclamation was issued: All the children in the land were to come to the palace.

seed   種
There they would be given special flower seeds by the Emperor.

succeed someone to the throne    ~の王位を継承する
“Whoever can show me their best in a year’s time,” he said, “will succeed me to the throne.”

throughout   ~の至るところで
This news created great excitement throughout the land!

swarm   群衆が移動する
Children from all over the country swarmed to the palace to get their flower seeds.

the ….est   一番~だ *比較の最上級表現
When Ping received his seed from the Emperor, he was the happiest child of all.

the most…   一番~だ *比較の最上級表現
He was sure he could grow the most beautiful flower.

flowerpot   植木鉢
rich soil   肥えた土
Ping filled a flowerpot with rich soil.

water   水やりをする
He watered it every day.

sprout   目を出す
blossom into   ~に成長する
He couldn’t wait to see it sprout, grow, and blossom into a beautiful flower!

day after day   来る日も来る日も
Day after day passed, but nothing grew in his pot.

be worried   心配する
Ping was very worried.

transfer   移す
Then he transferred the seed into the rich black soil.

by and by   やがて
By and by the whole year passed.

greet   歓迎する
Spring came, and all the children put on their best clothes to greet the Emperor.

eagerly   しきりに
They rushed to the palace with their beautiful flowers, eagerly hoping to be chosen.

be ashamed of   ~を恥ずかしくおもう
Ping was ashamed of his empty pot.

clever   賢い
run by   走って通り過ぎる
His clever friend ran by, holding a great big plant.

overhear   立ち聞きする/~をふと耳にする
Ping’s father overheard this and said, “You did your best, and your best is good enough to present to the Emperor.”

frown   顔をしかめる
But the Emperor was frowning and did not say a word.

hang one’s head in shame   恥じてうなだれる
Ping hung his head in shame, expecting to be punished.

exclaim   大声をあげる
one and all   全ての人
Then he exclaimed to one and all, “I have found him! I have found the one person worthy of being Emperor!

impossible   不可能な
So it was impossible for any of them to grow.

admire   賞賛する
courage   勇気
reward with   ~で報いる
entire   全ての
“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!”

allow someone to ….   人に~することを認める
What I love about The Empty Pot is it does allow me to look inside and realize just how much truth means.

ultimately   最終的に
consequence   結果
courageous   勇気のある
honorable   尊敬にあたいする
guarantee   保証する
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.

keep ….ing   ~し続ける
Keep telling the truth.

make sure   必ず~をする
Make sure to check out all of our stories.

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  1. Hi,
    my name is Daria Mistral i 18 years old,
    i like tell actor,
    Rami Malek you tell the story my favorite books.
    and you funny

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