The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom

The exact means can be found in the passage - where the spirit of the dog appears to the old man in a dream and instructs him on what to do with the pine tree over its grave. The spirit tells the old man, "Cut down the pine tree over my grave, and make from it a mortar for your rice pastry and a mill for your bean sauce." This instruction leads the old man to chop down the pine tree and make a mortar and mill from it, which magically turns rice pastry and bean sauce into gold when used. And Tit for Tat for the wicked couple.



Word

Meaning

Daimios

डेमियोस(19वीं सदी में जापान के धनी ज़मींदार)

Troublesome

परेशानी

Snug( comfortable)

आरामदायक(आरामदायक)

Cushion

तकिया

Heron

बगला

Whining

रोना

Gleamed

चमचमाता हुआ

Buried

दफ़नाया गया

Plentifully

उपज,पर्याप्त रुप से 

Wicked

दुष्ट

Coaxed

राजी कर लिया

Furious

आगबबूला

Carcass

शव

Incense

धूप

Mourn

विलाप

Chisel

छेनी

Peeped

झाँका

 Hag

डायन

Stingy

कंजूस

Withered

मुरझाया हुआ

Miserable

दुखी

Spinning

कताई

Covetous

लालची

Impertinence

अशिष्टता

Procession

जुलूस

Ditch

खाई

Comprehension Check

1. Why did the neighbours kill the dog?

The neighbours killed the dog out of greed and envy. They hoped that the dog, which had previously found treasure for its owners, would lead them to wealth as well. However, when the dog refused to cooperate out of fear, they became furious and decided to kill it. The passage states: "Furious at the dog, the old man kicked and beat him to death, and the old woman finished the work by nearly chopping off his head with the sharp hoe."


2- Mark the right item.

(i) The old farmer and his wife loved the dog (a) because it helped them in their day-to-day work. (b) as if it was their own baby. (c) as they were kind to all living beings.
(ii) When the old couple became rich, they (a) gave the dog better food. (b) invited their greedy neighbours to a feast. (c) lived comfortably and were generous towards their poor neighbours.
(iii) The greedy couple borrowed the mill and the mortar to make (a) rice pastry and bean sauce. (b) magic ash to win rewards. (c) a pile of gold.


Answer the following questions.

 1. The old farmer is a kind person. What evidence of his kindness do you find in the first two paragraphs. 

Evidence of the old farmer's kindness in the first two paragraphs includes:

  • The old couple loving their pet dog as though it were a baby, despite having no children of their own.
  • Making a cushion of blue crape for the dog to sit on during mealtime.
  • Feeding the dog with tidbits of fish from their own chopsticks and providing it with all the boiled rice it wanted.
  • The old man being patient and kind to everything that had life, such as not harming the white heron that walked in his footsteps and even turning up a sod on purpose to give food to the birds.

2. What did the dog do to lead the farmer to the hidden gold? 

The dog led the farmer to the hidden gold by coming running to him, putting its paws against his legs, and motioning with its head to a spot behind. The dog then kept whining and running to and fro until the old man followed it to a place where the dog began scratching lively, indicating the presence of the treasure.

3. (i) How did the spirit of the dog help the farmer first?

The spirit of the dog first helped the farmer by instructing him in a dream to cut down the pine tree over its grave and make a mortar for rice pastry and a mill for bean sauce from it. This led to the discovery that pounding rice in the mortar turned it into a heap of gold coins, and grinding beans in the mill produced gold as well.

 (ii) How did it help him next?

Next, the dog's spirit told the farmer to take the ashes of the burned mill made from the pine tree and sprinkle them on withered trees. This action caused the trees to bloom again, bringing prosperity and wonder to the village.

4. Why did the daimio reward the farmer but punish his neighbour for the same act?

The daimio rewarded the farmer for his kindness and generosity, as evidenced by his actions of sharing the magic ashes and bringing joy to the village. In contrast, the daimio punished the neighbour for his greed and selfishness, as seen when he attempted to use the ashes for personal gain, causing chaos and disrespect during the procession.

OR

The daimio rewarded the farmer because when the farmer used the ashes on a withered cherry tree as instructed by the spirit of the dog, it miraculously burst into blossom, impressing the daimio. However, the daimio punished the farmer's neighbour because when the neighbour tried the same act with the ashes, it caused chaos and discomfort during the daimio's procession, ruining the dignity of the event.