The chocolate test

Once upon a time in an alternative universe, in an alternative world. There was a world that was completely made out of chocolate. Chocolate kingdoms, chocolate things, chocolate animals, and even chocolate people.

Everything was made out of chocolate.

The biggest source of the chocolate world where the cacao trees that gave life to everything coming from the special cocoa beans

Usually, a cacao tree takes about 5 years to grow on Earth, but in the world of chocolate, it takes less than 1 month or 30 days.

In the chocolate world there lived an old but wise King, who had the largest of all the chocolate Kingdoms, and in his kingdom, he had the most Cacao trees ever. The richest and the best.

Now, through his vast wealth and knowledge, and kingdom size, he had a problem. He had no heir and therefore, was growing old, and soon, he needed to retire.

He came before his advisors and tried to figure out what to do to have an heir take over his mighty kingdom so that way no wars would come about as minor kingdoms would seek weakness and exploit the mighty kingdom as theirs.

What to do?

The old king thought and thought, day and night.

Until finally…. he finally figured it out!

He will hold a contest! As soon as the chocolate surprise festival began, he will hold a mighty test.

The king wrote down his decree and had it announced to every major city, town, and other Kingdoms about his incredible test!

The word of this incredible test traveled far and fast, and everyone gathered to the main capital to see the King making his announcement for the test.

The King came out and said that from this day on for 30 days, every child under the age of 10 shall have a Cacao seed and plant it.

Whoever grows the best Cacao tree and produces an amazing slice of chocolate cake from their tree will be crowned the next King of this mighty kingdom.

Every child under the age of 10 took a seed and began to work immediately!

Soon the contest began.

One such boy named Joseph came from a poor but honest family.

Joseph had a little sister named Josephine and a mother who is weak and frail for being a bar of brittle chocolate. His father died recently from a terrible chocolate war that ended many months ago.

Joseph became the head of his family, and as such, he had to provide for his family. Even at age 9, he did what he can to provide as a janitor.

Now Joseph’s mother always told him to be honest no matter what. Joseph did what his mother told him and worked an honest living as a janitor in a big office building for the King’s mighty kingdom. When Joseph heard the news about how the King was giving such an amazing test, he wanted to do this and help his family out of poverty. Children laughed and teased Joseph and Joseph’s friends thought that the “shortcut” way of stealing and lying were the best ways to get rich fast.

“Come on Joseph! Join our gang! That way your family won’t be poor anymore!”

But Joseph politely refused since his mother always said “honesty is the best policy.”

Joseph’s friends stopped trying to help him out and went on their separate ways. Until the great contest began.

Joseph and every child under the age of 10 gathered to get their seed to grow the best Cacao tree ever!

Joseph decided to do the test and write it down in his journal.

Day 1.

Planted the cacao seed in my big chocolate pot, gave it chocolate water, and time to wait.

-Joseph

The next day Joseph looked at the pot, but nothing came out. Which is fine, because it was only day two. Joseph wrote down the next part of his journal.

Day 2.

No cacao tree or plant yet, but gave it some more chocolate water and gave it some nice kind words. I also named my plant Charlotte.

-Joseph

Afterward, as days go by it seems as if nothing is growing, and Joseph swallowed his anxieties. Maybe it just needed some fertilizer? Joseph gave it some fertilizer. Soon he wrote it down in his journal.

Day 7.

No cacao tree or plant sprouting yet, gave it some chocolate water and some chocolate fertilizer. Hopefully, Charlotte is okay and maybe she is a late bloomer?

Hopefully….

-Joseph

Soon, as time goes by, the other children are ecstatic about how their cacao trees are growing amazingly well and they brag how big it has grown and how much the King will love their plant!

Joseph hearing this soon became frustrating. He went to his cacao plant Charlotte and started screaming at her.

“COME ON CHARLOTTE! What's wrong with you? Why can’t you grow? Everyone else is growing but you??? What's going on?”

He wrote it down in his journal.

Day 28.

NOTHING! Charlotte isn’t even growing and she is starting to anger me a LOT! What is wrong with this stupid tree? Why can’t she grow? ARGH!

I realize I hate gardening now.

-Joseph

After he finished his journal and is only 2 days away, he realizes, he isn’t going anywhere, and he doesn't have a chocolate cake slice ready yet.

It wasn’t until he had this idea of taking someone else’s plant and claiming it as his own?

His friends were way ahead of him and it wasn’t fair that they had everything from stealing and lying as he had nothing just because he was honest.

It isn’t fair!

One night, when everyone was asleep, he silently crept over to his friend’s house and found a beautiful Cacao tree fully grown with loads of Cocoa pods. Full of life and spender.

As Joseph was about to take a cocoa pod and claim it as his to make his chocolate cake and give his best slice to the aging king, he stopped.

No… this isn’t right.

What would his mother say? What influence would he be to his little sister Joesphine? What kind of a friend would he be to his friend who might have grown or stolen this majestic cacao tree? Would his chocolate cake slice be right to the aging King?

Is this something his late father would be proud of?

After he thought of all these questions, Joseph decided to go home empty-handed. He wrote in his journal.

Day 29.

The last day…. I have failed at growing Charlotte, but I know for a fact that I have no failed at being honest. I will present the King with what I got. Hopefully, the aging King will give me mercy for my failure. I hope mother and Joesphine will be okay if something were to happen to me.

-Joseph

Finally, the next morning everyone was excited to present their chocolate cake slice to the King.

Joseph decided to take Charlotte, which was a small chocolate pot full of chocolate soil with no tree or plant.

As children lined up before the king to present their best chocolate cakes from the King’s cacao seed the King immediately passed them away, not interested.

There were lavished cakes, lava chocolate cakes, and an incredible giant slice of chocolate cakes.

So many chocolate cakes littered all over the palace. The King just disregarded them as if he’s already seen them. After all, he is the King. Until he stopped at Joseph’s empty pot Charlotte.

“YOU!”

Oh no.

Thought Joseph as he thought he would be in big trouble.

“You child! Come forth!”

Joseph walked slowly before the king with his chocolate pot with Charlotte not being visible.

Everyone who looked at Joseph laughed and teased him. Some pitied him. Or shook their head.

Joseph a poor janitor boy has nothing! He grew nothing! What a loser!

Joseph heard them mutter but kept on going before the King.

The King stood up looked at Joseph closely.

“Did you not understand the directions of the King?” Bellowed the King to Joesph.

Joseph was so ashamed and scared that he shook and stuttered.

“Y-yes My King.”

“Do NOT stutter before me boy! I am the King, and you shall make your answers straight and clear. Understood?”

Joseph stood straighter and did his best to hold his confidence that was hanging by a string.

“Yes, my King!”

“Much better” as the King took a closer look at Joseph’s chocolate pot.

“You grew…. nothing?”

“I’m so sorry your majesty, I tried, I even wrote a journal about it, I even did everything I could to make it grow, I’m so sorry your majesty I even thought of taking a cacao pod from my friend and make you a wonderful chocolate cake, but I didn’t and I had to be honest, but I- “

“SILENCE”

Bellowed the King.

“What's your name boy?”

“Joseph sir King!”

“For a boy who grew nothing, I should have you and your family exiled for this insult! Perhaps I should throw you off the chocolate cliff?”

Joseph cried massive tears hearing this. But the King stopped and only smiled.

“However, because you are honest, I want you to be my heir.”

SILENCE….

Everyone was silent, Joseph felt like he was hearing things?

“I’m sorry your majesty, did you say you want me to be your heir?”

The King laughed.

“OF COURSE! I boiled those seeds in hot chocolate! I would be beyond surprised if you grew anything and gave me a slice of chocolate cake out of that!”

Joseph couldn’t believe it! He won.

Everyone in the Kingdom was amazed and yet cheered for Joseph who won and soon will become the next heir to the aging King.

Soon, Joseph’s mother and sister Josephine came and moved in with the aging King and learned everything from him and they all lived happily ever after.

As for Charlotte, she was still an empty chocolate pot nearby the King’s throne as a symbol for honesty is the best policy.

THE END

A chocolaty fairy tale by Juhnun Oh