The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom Summary and Question Answers

Here is a new blog post in Class 7th English. The story “The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom” is Chapter 4 taken from the newly introduced textbook Melody English for students of Class 7^th of JKBOSE. This post is about The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom Summary and Question Answers. In my previous post, you read about The Shed Melody English Class 7 Summary and Question Answers with you. So, let’s not waste any more time and get started with today’s post.

The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom Summary and Question Answers

Introduction

This story is a Japanese tale about an old couple who were honest and hardworking and their beloved pet dog. Their neighbours were troublesome and cruel. They killed the pet dog of the old couple but the soul of the dog helped and supported the old couple in unexpected ways. The greedy and troublesome neighbours paid the price for their acts in the end.

The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom Word Meaning

The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom Summary in English

This story is a traditional folk tale emphasising the elements of morality and supernatural power. It reflects themes of kindness, justice, and the consequences of greed.

The Kind Old Couple and Muko: In ancient times, there was a kind old couple having a pet dog Muko. They treated their pet dog, Muko, as their own child. One day, Muko led the old man to a spot in the garden, where they discovered gold. The couple became rich and shared their fortune with the poor.

The Wicked Couple’s Greed: A wicked couple learned of the old couple’s fortune and tried to coax Muko into their home. Sensing their cruelty, Muko refused to eat or move. The wicked couple, thinking there was a treasure, followed Muko’s lead and found a dead kitten. In anger, they beat Muko to death.

Muko’s Spirit and the Mortar-Mill Dream: Muko’s spirit appeared in the old man’s dream, instructing him to make a mortar and mill from a pine tree. With these tools, the old couple magically produced gold coins from rice and beans.

The Wicked Couple’s Misfortune: The wicked couple, envious of the tools, borrowed them but failed to reproduce the magic. Instead, the rice and beans turned into worms, and in frustration, the wicked man destroyed the tools.

Reviving the Cherry Tree: In another dream, Muko’s spirit guided the old man to sprinkle ashes from the burnt tools on a withered cherry tree. The tree bloomed with cherry blossoms, astonishing the villagers.

Meeting the Daimio: Learning that the daimio would pass by, the old man used the magic ashes to make a withered cherry tree bloom. The daimio, pleased with this wonder, rewarded the old man with gifts and an invitation to his castle.

The Wicked Neighbor’s Misfortune: The wicked neighbor, hearing of the old man’s success, tried to replicate it but failed miserably. Instead, he embarrassed the daimio and his wife during their procession, leading to his death.

Conclusion: The kind old couple continued to live a prosperous life, while the wicked neighbor faced the consequences of his greed and deceit. The story emphasizes the rewards of kindness, the dangers of greed, and the importance of humility and respect for nature.

INTEXT EXERCISES

Comprehension Check Page No. 60

1. Why did the neighbours kill the dog?

Ans. The dog did not help the neighbours to get the treasure but the dog had rather taken them to a foul smelling dead kitten So, they killed the dog in extreme anger.

2. Mark the right item.

(i) The old farmer and his wife loved the dog

(ii) (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.

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.

Ans.

(i) The old farmer and his wife loved the dog as if it was their own baby.

(ii) When the old couple became rich, they lived comfortably and were generous towards their poor neighbours.

(iii) The greedy couple borrowed the mill and the mortar to make a pile of gold.

TEXTUAL EXERCISES

Working with the Text Page No. 63

Answer the following questions:

Working with Language Page No. 64

1. Read the following conversation.

Ravi : What are you doing?

Mridu : I’m reading a book.

Ravi : Who wrote it?

Mridu : Ruskin Bond.

Ravi : Where did you find it?

Mridu : In the library.

Notice that ‘what’, ‘who’, and ‘where’, are question words. Questions that require information begin with question words. Some other question words are ‘when’, ‘why’, ‘where’, ‘which’ and ‘how’.

Remember that

What asks about actions, things, etc?

Who asks about people?

Which asks about people or things.

Where asks about the place.

When asked about time.

Why ask about reason or purpose?

How asks about means, manner or degree.

Whose asks about possessions?

Read the following paragraph and frame questions on the italicised phrases.

Anil is in school. I am in school too. Anil is sitting in the left row. He is reading a book. Anil’s friend is sitting in the second row. He is sharpening his pencil. The teacher is writing on the blackboard. Children are writing in their copybooks. Some children are looking out of the window.

Ans. (i) Where is Anil?

(ii) Which row Anil is sitting in?

(iii) What is he doing?

(iv) Where is Anil’s friend sitting?

(v) What is Anil’s friend doing?

(vi) Who is writing on the blackboard?

(vii) What are some children doing?

2. Write appropriate question words in the blank spaces in the following dialogue:

NEHA ……. did you get this book?

SHEELA: Yesterday morning.

NEHA:….. is your sister crying?

SHEELA: Because she has lost her doll.

NEHA:…….room is this, yours or hers?

SHEELA: It’s ours.

NETA:……..do you go to school?

SHEELA : We walk to school. It is nearby.

Ans.

NEHA: When did you get this book?

SHEELA: Yesterday morning.

NEHA: Why is your sister crying?

SHEELA: Because she has lost her doll.

NEHA: Whose room is this, yours or hers?

SHEELA: It’s ours.

NETA: How do you go to school?

SHEELA: We walk to school. It is nearby.

3. Fill in the blanks with the words given in the box.

how, what, when, where, which

(i) My friend lost his chemistry book. Now he doesn’t know ……. to do and ……… to look for it.

(ii) There are so many toys in the shops. Neena can’t decide ………… one to buy.

(iii) You don’t know the way to my school. Ask the policeman ..………. to get there.

(iv) You should decide soon ………….to start building your house. 

(v) Do you know………….to ride a bicycle? I don’t remember …………. and ..………. I learnt it.

(vi) “You should know ………. to talk and ………….. to keep your mouth shut,” the teacher advised Anil.

Ans.

(i) My friend lost his chemistry book. Now he doesn’t know what to do and where to look for it.

(ii) There are so many toys in the shops. Neena can’t decide which one to buy.

(iii) You don’t know the way to my school. Ask the policeman how to get there.

(iv) You should decide soon when to start building your house. 

(v) Do you know how to ride a bicycle? I don’t remember when and how I learnt it.

(vi) “You should know where to talk and when to keep your mouth shut,” the teacher advised Anil.

4. Add im- or in- to each of the following words and use them in place of the italicised words in the sentences given below.

patient, proper, possible, sensitive, competent

(i) The project appears very difficult at first sight but it can be completed if we work very hard.

(ii) He lacks competence. That’s why he can’t keep any job for more than a year.

(iii) “Don’t lose patience. Your letter will come one day,” the postman told me.

(iv) That’s not a proper remark to make under the circumstances.

(v) He appears to be without sensitivity. In fact, he is very emotional.

Ans. (i) The project appears impossible at first sight but it can be completed if we work very hard.

(ii) He is incompetent. That’s why he can’t keep any job for more than a year.

(iii) “Don’t be impatient. Your letter will come one day,” the postman told me.

(iv) That’s an improper remark to make under the circumstances.

(v) He appears to be insensitive. In fact, he is very emotional.

5. Read the following sentences:

It was a cold morning and stars still glowed in the sky. An old man was walking along the road.

The words in italics are articles. ‘A’ and ‘an’ are indefinite articles and ‘the’ is the definite article. ‘A’ is used before a singular countable noun. ‘An’is used before a word that begins with a vowel.

a boy           an actor

a mango       an apple

a university an hour

Use a, an or the in the blanks.

There was once ………… play which became very successful………famous actor was acting in it. In……….play his role was that of………… aristocrat who had been imprisoned in ……. castle for twenty years. In ………… last act of………play someone would come on…….stage with ………… letter which he would hand over to prisoner. Even though …….. aristocrat was not expected to read ………… letter at each performance, he always insisted that ……………  letter be written out from beginning to end.

Ans.

There was once a play which became very successful. A famous actor was acting in it. In the play his role was that of an aristocrat who had been imprisoned in a castle for twenty years. In the last act of the play someone would come on the stage with a letter which he would hand over to prisoner. Even though an aristocrat was not expected to read a letter at each performance, he always insisted that the letter be written out from beginning to end.

6. Encircle the correct article.

Nina was looking for (a/ the) job. After many interviews she got (a/ the) job she was looking for.

A: Would you like (a / an/ the) apple or (a / an / the) banana?

B: I’d like (a / an / the) apple, please.

A Take (a/ an / the) red one in (a / an / the) fruit bowl. You may take (a/ an / the) orange also, if you like.

B: Which one?

A: (A/ An / The) one beside (a / an / the) banana.

Ans.

A: Would you like an apple or a banana?

B: I’d like an apple, please.

A: Take the red one in the fruit bowl. You may take an orange also if you like.

B: Which one?

A: The one beside the banana.

Speaking and Writing Page No. 67

1. Do you remember an anecdote or a story about a greedy or jealous person and the unhappy result of his/her action? Narrate the story to others in your class. Here is one for you to read.

Seeing an old man planting a fig tree, the king asked why he was doing this. The man replied that he might live to eat the fruit, and, even if he did not, his son would enjoy the figs. “Well,” said the king, “if you do live to eat the fruit of this tree, please let me know.” The man promised to do so, and sure enough, before too long, the tree grew and bore fruit.

Packing some fine figs in a basket, the old man set out for the palace to meet the king.

The king accepted the gift and gave orders that the old man’s basket be filled with gold.

Now, next door to the old man, there lived a greedy old man jealous of his neighbour’s good fortune. He also packed some figs in a basket and took them to the palace in the hope of getting gold.

The king, on learning the man’s motive, ordered him to stand in the compound and had him pelted with figs. The old man

returned home and told his wife the sad story. She consoled him by saying, “You should be thankful that our neighbour did not grow coconuts.”

Ans. The students must read the above story thoroughly. As you know, greed is a curse. It will provide nothing but a shame. The unhappy result may create something negative in one’s behaviour. Don’t be jealous to others.

2. Put each of the following in the correct order. Then use them appropriately to fill the blanks in the paragraph that follows. Use correct punctuation marks.

• English and Hindi/both/in/he writes
• and only a few short stories/many books in English/ in Hindi
• is/my Hindi/than my English/much better

Ravi Kant is a writer,  …….of course, he is much happier writing in English than in Hindi. He has written……….. I find his books a little hard to understand.

Ans. Ravi Kant is a writer, and he writes both in English and Hindi. Of course, he is much happier writing in English than in Hindi. He has written many books in English and only a few short stories in Hindi. I find his books a little hard to understand. My Hindi is much better than my English.

3. Are you fond of reading stories? Did you read one last month? If not, read one or two and then write a paragraph about the story. Use the following hints.

• title of the story
• name of author
• how many characters
• which one you liked
• some details of the story
• main point(s) as you understand it

Tell your friends why they should also read it.

Ans. Read some storybooks yourself and describe the story you read in short by using the hints given above. Of course, I am fond of reading.

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