Weeks passed. Nothing happened.

“This,” said the old man, “is the smallest seed in our kingdom. But the sage who passed through here forty years ago said that if you truly grow a mustard seed, not just the plant, but the seed itself—if you cultivate its deepest nature—it will show you the secret of all growth.”

The next morning, the old man was gone. He had left quietly in the night, leaving behind only the dry mustard seed on the pillow and a small clay pot filled with dusty soil.