The Ashes that Made Trees Bloom Summary Class 7 English Honeycomb

Introduction

The story was retold by William Elliot Griffis (1843–1928), an American writer known for sharing Japanese culture and folktales with the Western world. His work preserves the moral lessons and traditions of Japanese stories.

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Key Points of the Story

• Kind old couple has no children but loves their dog, Muko, like a child.
• They care for Muko, feeding him well and taking him to the fields daily.
• Muko scratches at a spot, leading the old man to discover buried gold.
• The couple becomes rich but remains humble and generous.
• A greedy couple tries to lure Muko to find treasure in their yard.
• Muko scratches, but they find only a dead kitten. Angry, they kill Muko.
• Heartbroken, the old couple honors Muko’s grave with offerings.
• Muko’s spirit appears in a dream, instructing the old man to make a mortar and mill from a pine tree over the grave.
• Using the tools, the couple’s rice and beans turn into gold. They grow wealthier but remain kind and share their riches.
• Neighbors borrow the tools, but instead of gold, they get worms, and destroy the tools in frustration.
• Muko’s spirit instructs the old man to collect ashes from the burned tools.
• Sprinkling the ashes on a withered tree makes it bloom beautifully.
• A powerful lord (daimyo) rewards the old man with gifts like silk.
• The greedy neighbor imitates the old man but fails, and the ashes blow into the daimyo’s face, angering him.
• The neighbor is punished, while the old couple lives happily with peace and wealth.
• The story shows that kindness is rewarded, and greed is punished.

Detailed Summary

The story begins with a kind old couple who had no children, so they loved their dog, Muko, like their own child. They gave him the best food and treated him with great care. The old man, who loved all living things, worked in the rice fields every day, and Muko followed him. One day, Muko scratched the ground in the field, and the old man found a pile of gold buried there. This treasure made the couple rich, but they stayed humble, shared their wealth with neighbors, and continued to care for Muko with even more love.

Nearby lived a greedy couple who, after hearing about the treasure, tricked Muko into coming to their garden, hoping he would help them find gold. Muko, scared of them, scratched at a spot in their yard, but they found only a dead kitten. Angry, they killed Muko and buried him in their garden. The kind couple was heartbroken when they heard the news. They mourned Muko deeply, placing flowers and food on his grave and burning incense to honor him.

That night, Muko’s spirit appeared in the old man’s dream and told him to cut down the pine tree above the grave to make a mortar for pounding rice and a hand mill for grinding beans. The couple followed the instructions, and when they used the tools, rice turned into gold coins, and beans turned into showers of gold. This made them even richer, but they stayed kind and shared their wealth with others. The greedy neighbors borrowed the tools, hoping to get gold too, but their rice and beans turned into worms instead. Furious, they burned the tools.

Muko’s spirit appeared again and told the old man to collect the ashes from the burned tools. These ashes had the magic to make dead trees bloom. The old man sprinkled the ashes on a withered cherry tree, and it blossomed beautifully. A passing daimio (lord) saw the miracle and rewarded the old man with gifts like silk robes and other valuables. The greedy couple tried to do the same, but the ashes they used blew into the daimio’s face, making him angry. His guards punished the greedy man, and he later died in misery.

The kind old couple lived a long, happy life, rewarded for their generosity and kindness. The greedy neighbors faced punishment for their selfishness, showing that kindness brings rewards, while greed leads to suffering.

Theme

The story highlights the themes of kindness, selflessness, and the rewards of good deeds. It contrasts the behavior of the kind old couple, who are generous and loving, with the greed and cruelty of their neighbors, showing how actions reflect on one’s destiny.

Message

The story teaches that kindness, humility, and generosity lead to happiness and prosperity, while greed and cruelty result in suffering and downfall. It emphasizes the importance of caring for others and staying true to one’s values, as good deeds are always rewarded, and selfishness ultimately leads to failure.

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List of Difficult Words with Meaning

• Daimios - Wealthy landowners
• Demure - Calm and reserved
• Tidbits - Small pieces of food
• Heron - A white bird
• Chopsticks - Thin, tapered sticks of wood used in pairs for eating Chinese food
• Turned up - Dug up
• Smothered - Suffocated or covered completely
• Petted - Gently caressed or stroked
• Gleamed - Shined or glowed brightly
• Whining - Moaning or complaining in a high-pitched tone
• Motioning - Pointing or gesturing to indicate something
• Dripping - Liquid falling in drops
• Palanquin - A portable bed or couch, open or enclosed, mounted on poles and carried on the shoulders of several men
• Carcass - The dead body of an animal
• Flung - Threw or hurled forcefully
• Wither - To become dry, shriveled, or lifeless