How to find out who is truthful...

Once apon a time, a very long time ago, a Chinese Emperor had three sons and did not know who to let be the next Emperor after himself. So this is what happened...

"My three sons, come here please. I give you these seeds for you to grow me a flower. Which ever one of you grows me the prettiest flower, will be the next Emperor. You had three months to show me what you can grow."

Two months later, the Emperor calls his three sons over to show him the flowers that they grew. The first, oldest son comes with the most beautiful flower the Emperor had ever seen.

"Wow... That's some beautiful flower!" 

"Thank You! I grew it all myself!"

Then comes the second son, with if that's even possible, an even prettier flower.

"Wow... That's an amazing flower!"

"Thank You! I Tried my best to make it look like this!"

After that, the third and youngest son came with nothing in his hands. The whole crowd gasped. He had come with a very sad and long face saying, "I couldn't grow anything. I tried but nothing came. I'm sorry to let you down."

The Emperor just looked at him and smiled. Then he said, "You will be the nest Emperor. You have been the most honest of all your brothers. I had put hot water on all of your plants to see who would be the most honest."

Everybody just stood there staring and that is how this story ends.

From Mikhail Savin's Propaved