In which the gift of stories is all about a wise parent and child

A Single Grain of Rice (India)

A king prepared to take a journey of ten years, to tour around his country and see all that there was to be seen.  

 

Before he left, he called to each of his three daughters. 

 

To each daughter, he gave a single grain of rice.  

 

“Keep this, guard it, and do well with it,” he said.  

 

“Rule my kingdom while I am gone.  I give each of you this grain of rice so that you may use it to learn to use your power in the service of wisdom.  

 

“When I return, I will choose my heir.”

 

The eldest daughter looked at the grain of rice in her hand, and tossed it negligently over her shoulder.  

 

“Why care for this particular grain of rice, when there were ten bags of rice in the palace kitchens?”  

 

She thought no more about it.

 

The middle daughter tied a long golden thread around her grain of rice, and put it into a beautiful crystal box.  

 

Every day, morning and night, she looked at the grain of rice and reminded herself that she was powerful.

 

The youngest daughter called for advisors and tutors and artists.  

 

She asked questions about rice.  She learned about the history of rice, the importance of rice for trade, methods of cooking rice, and much more. 

 

After ten years had passed, the king returned and asked each of his daughters about the rice.  

 

The eldest daughter shrugged her shoulders and ran to the kitchen.  

 

She took a grain from one of the ten bags there, and brought it to her father, saying, “This is the grain you gave me—I have kept it in perfect condition.”

 

The middle daughter presented the king with the crystal box containing the grain of rice on a golden thread.  

 

“See how I have made this humble rice grain beautiful?” she asked him.

 

The third daughter did not have a grain of rice to give her father when he asked. 

 

Instead, she led him to a window, and showed him the view outside:  acres and acres of rice plants, enough to feed everyone in the kingdom—and all of it descended from the single grain of rice he had given to her years ago, which she had planted and cultivated and harvested so that more rice could be planted, cultivated, and harvested.

 

The king chose this third daughter to be his heir.

From that day, and for many years after, the youngest daughter ruled the kingdom.  

 

She ruled long, and wisely, and well.