The Ashes That Made the Trees Bloom
Introduction
'The Ashes That Made the Trees Bloom' is a traditional Japanese folk tale about kindness and greed. It contrasts the fate of a gentle old couple who treat a dog with love and a greedy neighbour who is cruel. The story illustrates the universal truth that goodness is rewarded and greed brings misfortune.
'Folk tales across all cultures share the same message: kindness is never wasted, and greed always destroys itself.'
2. About Folk Tales
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Origin | Japanese folk tale |
| Genre | Moral fable / folklore |
| Method of telling | Third-person narrative with supernatural elements |
| Purpose | To teach moral lessons |
3. Summary of the Story
The Kind Couple and Their Dog
An old couple lives a simple life. They have a dog they love dearly. One day, the dog digs in the garden and uncovers a treasure of gold coins. The old couple becomes wealthy.
The Greedy Neighbour
A greedy neighbour observes this. He forces the old couple's dog to dig in his garden, hoping to find treasure. But the dog only digs up dead fish and rubbish. The angry neighbour kills the dog and buries it.
The Pine Tree
The old couple mourns their dog. The dog appears in a dream and tells them to cut down the pine tree under which he is buried and make a mortar from its wood. When they do, the mortar turns their rice into gold.
The Greed Continues
The greedy neighbour borrows the mortar, but it only turns his rice into filth. He burns the mortar in anger.
The Ashes
The old couple collects the ashes from the burnt mortar. These ashes have a magical property — when sprinkled on a withered tree, it blooms. The couple uses this to bring beauty to the land.
The Reward
The old couple goes to the daimyo (lord) and shows the magical ashes. The daimyo is delighted and rewards them richly.
The Neighbour's End
The greedy neighbour tries to imitate them but fails. His ashes do not make trees bloom. In his attempt to show off, he manages only to blind the daimyo. He is punished for his greed and mischief.
'The story follows the classic folk tale pattern: kindness → reward → greed → disaster. The good prosper; the greedy are punished.'
4. Characters
| Character | Role | Traits |
|---|---|---|
| Old man | Protagonist | Kind, gentle, honest |
| Old woman | Protagonist | Loving, caring, simple |
| Dog (Muko) | Loyal animal | Faithful, magical helper |
| Greedy neighbour | Antagonist | Cruel, jealous, greedy |
| Daimyo (Lord) | Authority figure | Just, appreciative |
5. Themes
| Theme | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Kindness vs greed | The central contrast in the story |
| Reward for goodness | Good deeds are always rewarded, even magically |
| Punishment for cruelty | Greed and cruelty bring their own punishment |
| Loyalty of animals | The dog's loyalty is repaid by the old couple's love |
| Supernatural justice | Magic enforces moral justice |
6. Key Elements of the Folk Tale
| Element | In the Story |
|---|---|
| Good character | Old couple |
| Evil character | Greedy neighbour |
| Magical helper | The dog, the mortar, the ashes |
| Test/obstacle | Neighbour's cruelty |
| Reward | Wealth, honour |
| Punishment | Neighbour's disgrace |
7. Exam Focus
2-Mark Questions
- What did the dog dig up in the old couple's garden?
- Why did the greedy neighbour kill the dog?
- What happened when the old couple used the mortar?
- What was the magic of the ashes?
5-Mark Questions
- Describe how the old couple was rewarded for their kindness.
- How does the story contrast the old couple and the greedy neighbour?
- What role does the dog play in the story?
- Explain the moral of 'The Ashes That Made the Trees Bloom'.
8. Self-Test
Q1. What treasure did the dog dig up for the old couple? A1. Gold coins.
Q2. Why did the neighbour kill the dog? A2. Because the dog only dug up rubbish in his garden, not treasure.
Q3. What did the mortar do for the kind couple? A3. It turned rice into gold.
Q4. What happened when the greedy neighbour used the mortar? A4. It turned rice into filth.
Q5. What power did the ashes have? A5. When sprinkled on a withered tree, it bloomed.
Summary
- A kind old couple is rewarded by their dog, who finds gold.
- The greedy neighbour tries to force the dog to find treasure but fails.
- The neighbour kills the dog; the old couple makes a mortar from the tree under which the dog is buried.
- The mortar turns rice into gold for the kind couple but filth for the neighbour.
- Ashes from the burnt mortar make withered trees bloom.
- The kind couple is rewarded; the greedy neighbour is punished.
- The story teaches that kindness brings rewards while greed leads to ruin.
