Solutions To NCERT Class 7 English- Honeycomb Unit 4 “The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom”

Hello students! Looking for accurate and reliable solutions to NCERT Class 7 English – Honeycomb Unit 4 – “The Ashes that Made trees Bloom”?  Our team of English experts, trained both in India and overseas, have crafted excellent solutions to all the questions in this lesson in a lucid, easy-to-understand manner. Plenty of additional questions have been provided which cover the all facets of the story in detail to help you prepare. We recommend you go through them in detail – they should clear all your doubts, help you understand the concepts, and prepare you for the exams.

Find Solutions to NCERT Class 7 English- Honeycomb Unit 4 “The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom” here.

Comprehension Check

Answer the following questions:

Question 1. Why did the neighbours kill the dog?

Answer: 

The greedy neighbours killed the dog out of rage and frustration. They had set bits of fish and other dainties in front of the dog expecting him to lead them to buried treasure, in the same way that it had helped its owners find one. But the dog neither touched the treats, nor moved. Finally, when they dragged him outdoors, he led them to a pine tree under which they found the stinking carcass of a dead kitten instead of buried treasure. Furious at the dog, the old man kicked the poor dog and beat it to death.

Question 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

Answer:

(b) as if it was their own baby.

(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. ✔

Answer:

(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: 

(c) a pile of gold.

Working with the text

Answer the following questions.

Question 1. The old farmer is a kind person. What evidence of his kindness do you find in the first two paragraphs?
Answer: 
We see many instances of the old man’s kindness throughout the story. In the first paragraph, we learn how kindly and affectionately the old couple treated their dog. They fed it pieces of fish lovingly with their own chopsticks as if it were their baby, and gave it all the boiled rice it wanted.

In the second paragraph, we see that the farmer was considerate towards all living beings. While walking, he often turned over a sod on purpose so that birds, like the white heron, could feast on the worms which were exposed.

Question 2. What did the dog do to lead the farmer to the hidden gold?
Answer: 
One day the dog came running to the farmer, put his paw against his leg and motioned with his head
to some spot behind. At first the farmer did not pay much heed because he thought his pet wanted to play. But it started whining insistently and running to and fro, then the old farmer followed it to a place where the animal started scratching vigorously. This is how the dog led the farmer to the hidden gold.

Question 3. (i) How did the spirit of the dog help the farmer first?
Answer:
(i) The spirit of the dog appeared in the farmer’s dream and asked him to cut down the pine tree under which it was buried, and make a mortar and mill from it for his rice pastry and bean sauce. The farmer did as told and was rewarded with a heap of gold. This is how the spirit of his beloved dog helped him first.

Question 3. (ii) How did it help him next?
Answer:
(ii) The spirit of the dog appeared again in the farmer’s dream and told him to collect the ashes of the mortar and mill from the jealous and wicked neighbours and sprinkle them on withered trees to see them bloom. The farmer followed the instructions and was amazed to see his cherry tree burst into blossom. When the daimio was passing along the high road the old man sprinkled some ash on a tree in his path. It immediately burst into blossom and the delighted daimio rewarded him with silk robes, sponge cake, fans and many other gifts.

Question 4. Why did the daimio reward the farmer but punish his neighbour for the same act?
Answer: 
The daimio rewarded the farmer but punished his neighbour for the same act because the result of their actions differed greatly. When the old farmer sprinkled the ash on the tree, it blossomed magically. The daimio was mesmerised by the miracle, so he was pleased to reward the farmer.

But, when the wicked neighbour sprinkled ash on the cherry tree, it did not change at all. Instead, the wind blew the fine ash into the eyes and noses of the daimio and his wife choking them and making them sneeze. It spoilt the grandeur and dignity of the procession and annoyed the daimio. That is why the neighbour was punished.

Working with language

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’, ‘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 place.

• When asks about time.

• Why asks about reason or purpose.

• How asks about means, manner or degree.

• Whose asks about possessions.

Read the following paragraph and frame questions on the italicized 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.

(i)________________________

(ii) ________________________

(iii)________________________

(iv)________________________

(v)________________________

(vi)________________________

(vii)________________________

Answer:

(i) Where is Anil?

(ii) Which row is Anil sitting in?

(iii) What is he doing?

(iv) Which row is Anil’s friend sitting in?

(v) What is his friend doing?

(vi) Who is writing on the blackboard?

(vii) What are some of the 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.

NEHA: ________ do you go to school?

SHEELA: We walk to school. It is nearby.

Answer:

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.

NEHA: How do you go to school?

SHEELA: We walk to school. It is nearby.

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

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.

Answer:

(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 where I learnt it.

(vi) “You should know when 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 italicized 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.

Answer:

(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.

Answer:

There was once aplay 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 aletter which he would hand over to the prisoner. Even though the aristocrat was not expected to read the letter at each performance, he always insisted that the letter be written out from beginning to end.

6. Encircle (underlined here) 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.

Answer:

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.

Speaking and Writing

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.”

Answer: A story I had heard a long time ago is narrated below for the students of my class.

Gold Coins and a Greedy Man

Once upon a time there lived a greedy and selfish man named Hari. The more money he got, the more he wanted. He did not hesitate to use unfair means to make more money and cheat his customers. He also exploited his employees by paying very low wages.

One day he lost a small bag containing fifty gold coins and looked for it everywhere cursing his bad luck. A couple of days later the daughter of one of his employees found a bag containing fifty gold coins and gave it to her father. The poor man realised that it was his employer’s lost bag of gold and being an honest man took it immediately to his employer.

Hari was not one to lose the opportunity of making more money. He counted the gold coins and cried out that his bag had contained seventy-five gold coins, so there were twenty-five pieces missing and accused the honest employee of stealing them.

The poor man was stunned by the accusation and did not know what he should do. In the meantime, his employer filed a case against the poor man and he was summoned to court.

The judge had heard of Hari’s avarice and listened carefully to both sides of the story. He questioned the employee and his daughter about the number of coins in the bag and then gave his verdict.

 Hari was stunned to hear the judge say that since the bag in question contained only fifty gold coins, it did not belong to Hari whose bag supposedly contained seventy-five coins, so the bag of gold should go to the finder. He ordered Hari to hand over the bag containing fifty gold coins to the girl who had found it.

Thus, we see how Hari’s greed boomeranged on him.

Question 2. Put each of the following in the correct order. Then use them appropriately to fill in 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, and __________________. Of course, he is much happier writing in English than in Hindi. He has written ____________________________________. I find his books a little hard to understand. __________________.

Answer:

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.

Question 3. Are you fond of reading stories? Did you read one last month? If not, read one or two and 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.

Answer:

A sample has been provided below for your reference.

I recently read “Anne of Green Gables” by L.M. Montgomery which is a delightful book I recommend all should read.

The central character is an eleven-year-old orphan named Anne Shirley who is mistakenly sent to the home of elderly siblings, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. They originally intended to adopt a boy to help on the farm, but Anne’s talkativeness and spirit charm Matthew and Marilla, so they decide to adopt her. Anne is a happy child even though she grew up in an orphanage and several foster homes. Though she lacks social graces and manages to shock the residents of Avonlea, she has a vivid imagination and a generous disposition. She is self- conscious about her appearance despising her red hair and freckles, but she likes her nose. Once, Anne is rude to Mrs Lindsay for calling her a redhead and is made to apologise to her by Marilla. Her melodramatic apology to Mrs Lindsay is truly hilarious.

She acts instinctively and impulsively and gets into many scrapes. Anne never had any real friends till she came to Avonlea and met Diana Barry who becomes her inseparable companion. After a rocky start in Avonlea, Anne manages to win over the residents of the small town, and grows into a bright talented young woman.

I like the character of Matthew who is a man of few words, but is affectionate and often shields Anne from Marilla who is a stickler for discipline. Another fine character is that of Gilbert Blythe whom Anne deeply dislikes at first because he teasingly called her “carrots” but gradually they become friends.

The story exhibits a conflict between imagination and social expectations and how Anne learns to balance the two poles. It is an entertaining, interesting read which everyone will enjoy.

Extra Questions for NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Unit 4 The Ashes That made Trees Bloom”

A. Multiple Choice Type Questions

Choose the correct option:

1. What was the farmer’s dog called?
(i) Mike
(ii) Miko
(iii) Muko
(iv) None of the above

2. The old dame made a cushion out of ________crape for the little dog.
(i) pink
(ii) yellow
(iii) Green
(iv) blue

3. What crop did the kind farmer grow?
(i) wheat
(ii) Maize
(iii) rice
(iv) barley

4. What did the old couple do with the pile of gold?
(i)They bought a piece of land
(ii) Made a feast for their friends
(iii) gave plentifully to their poor neighbours
(iv) All of the above

5. How did the wicked old man and his wife treat the dogs?
(i) they kicked the dogs
(ii) They petted the dogs
(iii) They scolded the dogs
(iv) Both (i) and (iii)

6. Why did the dog not eat or move when the old couple laid out a feast for him?
(i) the dog was not hungry
(ii) The dog was tired
(iii) the dog was sulking
(iv) the dog was afraid of cruel pair

7. Where did the dog lead the cruel couple when they dragged him outdoors?
(i) to a cherry tree
(ii) to an apple tree
(iii) to an abandoned well
(iv) to a pine tree

8. Why did the cruel couple drop their tools and shut their noses?
(i) because they were tired
(ii) because of the foul smell
(iii) because they were disappointed
(iv) None of the above

9. Why did the cruel neighbour kill the dog?
(i) because the little dog bit them
(ii) because they were furious with him
(iii) because he did not find treasure for them
(iv) None of the above

10. How did the kind farmer mourn for Muko?
(i) He mourned for him as if he had been his own child
(ii)Set up some bamboo poles on the ground and put fresh flowers
(iii) laid a cup of water and a tray of food on the grave
(iv) all of the above

Answer:

1. (iii) Muko
2. (iv)  blue
3. (iii) rice
4. (iv) All of the above
5. (iv) Both (i) and (iii)
6. (iv) the dog was afraid of cruel pair
7. (iv) to a pine tree
8. (ii) because of the foul smell
9. (iii)because he did not find treasure for them
10. (iv) all of the above

B. Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the box to complete the following sentences:

cherry	sensitive	wicked	blossoms	bare
kicked	winter	perfumed	scolded	ashes

1.Now in the same village lived a ________man and his wife, not a bit ________and kind, who always _____and ____ all dogs whenever any passed their house.

2. He took his wife to the garden. It being ______their favourite _____tree was ______. He sprinkled a pinch of ______on it, and, lo! It sprouted _______until it became a cloud of pink Blooms which _____the air.

Answer:

1. Now in the same village lived a wicked man and his wife, not a bit sensitive and kind, who always kicked and scolded all dogs whenever any passed their house.

2. He took his wife to the garden. It being winter their favourite cherry tree was bare. He sprinkled a pinch of ashes on it, and, lo! It sprouted blossoms until it became a cloud of pink blooms which perfumed the air.

C. Match the words in column A with those in column B

A	B
O Tento Sama	Wealthy landowners ( in 19th century)
palanquin	Tasty food
Daimios	bowl
mortar	the sun
dainties	Royal van

Answer:

A	B
O Tento Sama	the sun
palanquin	Royal van
Daimios	Wealthy landowners (in 19th century)
mortar	bowl
dainties	Tasty food

D. State whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE:

1. The The kind old couple had no children of their own.
2. The kind farmer was patient and kind to everything that had life.
3. The covetous neighbour and his wife were rewarded by the dog with riches.
4. The night he was brutally killed, the dog appeared in the kind farmer’s dream and gave him another gift to make him rich.
5. The third time the spirit of the dog helped the cruel farmer by giving him the power to make a withered tree bloom.

Answer:

1. True
2. True
3. False – The dog led the covetous neighbour and his wife to a pine tree and they dug the ground hoping to find gold, but found only a dead kitten.
4. True
5. False – The third time the dog punished the cruel farmer because he could not make the bare tree bloom by scattering the ashes, instead the ashes got into the eyes of the diamio and his wife. So instead of being rewarded he was brutally beaten up by the Diamios’ guard.

E.  Very Short Answer type Questions:

1. 1. In which century do the events in the story take place?
   Answer:
   The events in the story take place in the 19th century during the good old days of the daimios.

2. Who were the diamios?
Answer:
They were wealthy land owners.

3. How did the childless old couple look upon their little dog?
Answer:
The childless old couple looked upon their dog as if he were their own child.

4. How would Muko look as he sat on the blue crape cushion?
Answer:
He looked snug as a cat.

5. How long did the farmer work in the rice fields?
Answer:
The farmer worked in the rice fields from morning till the time the sun set behind the hills.

6. Who accompanied the farmer when he went to the fields?
Answer:
Muko, his little dog followed the farmer faithfully as he went to the fields.

7. How did the farmer help the birds as he walked along?
Answer:
The farmer would often deliberately turn over a sod as he walked so that the birds could easily feed on the worms that surfaced.

8. How did the dog tell the farmer that it wanted him to follow it?
Answer:
The dog put his paws on his legs and motioned with his head to some spot behind them.

9. Why did the farmer think that the dog was scratching the ground vigorously?
Answer:
The farmer thought the dog was digging up a buried bone or a bit of fish.

10. What happened when the farmer struck his hoe in the ground?
Answer:
When he struck his hoe in the ground, he was astonished to see a pile of gold gleaming before him.

11. What did the couple do with the treasure?
Answer:
The old couple bought a piece of land, made a feast for their friends and gave generously to their poor neighbours.

12. How did they thank the dog for leading them to the treasure?
Answer:
They petted the dog and nearly smothered him with kindness.

13. How did the wicked man and his wife treat dogs that passed their house?
Answer:
The wicked couple used to kick and scold all dogs who passed their house.

14. Why did wicked couple coax the dog into their garden and offer him fish and dainties?
Answer:
The wicked couple treated the dog generously because they wanted him to find treasure for them too.

15. Why did the little dog refuse to eat or move?
Answer:
The little dog was afraid of the cruel couple, so he neither ate  nor moved.

16. How did the cruel couple force the dog to look for treasure for them?
Answer:
They dragged him outdoors and carried a spade and hoe with them.

17. Why did the greedy old man begin to jump for joy as he watched the dog scratching the ground beneath the pine tree?
Answer:
The greedy old man started dancing for joy because he expected a mighty treasure to be unearthed.

18. What did they find when they started digging the ground with a spade and hoe?
Answer:
They found the stinking carcass of a dead kitten instead of the treasure the had expected.

19. How did they react when they realised there was no treasure?
Answer:
They were furious with the dog. The cruel old man brutally kicked the dog and beat him nearly to death, while the old hag dealt the final blow by almost chopping his head off with a sharp hoe.

20. What did the spirit of the dog tell his owner when he appeared in his dream at night?
Answer:
The spirit of the dog told the kind farmer to cut down the pine tree over his grave and make a mortar for rice pastry and a mill for bean sauce.

21. What happened when the farmer was making rice pastry before New Year?
Answer:
As the farmer pounded the rice into dough using the mortar made from pine wood, suddenly the whole mass turned into a heap of gold coins.

22. What did the envious neighbour peeping in see?
Answer:
The envious neighbour saw the bean sauce drippings turn into gold as it was churned by the hand-mill made by the farmer out of pine wood.

23. Why did the greedy neighbour come over the next day?
Answer:
The next day the stingy and wicked neighbour came and borrowed the mortar and magic mill.

24. What happened to the rice pastry and bean sauce being made by the wicked neighbours?
Answer:
The pastry and bean sauce turned into a foul mass of worms.

25. What did the wicked neighbours do with the mill?
Answer:
The wicked neighbours chopped up the mill into pieces to use as firewood.

26. Why did the spirit of the dog appear again in the good old man’s dream?
Answer:
The spirit of the dog told the good old man to collect the ashes of the mill and sprinkle them on the withered trees to make them bloom again.

27. Why did the old man climb a withered cherry tree that stood on the wayside before the daimio’s train passed?
Answer:
The old man wanted to greet the daimio with a beautiful flowering tree as a mark of his respect and devotion.

28. How did the Daimio react when he saw the withered cherry tree burst into fragrant blossoms?
Answer:
The daimio was thrilled to see the wondrous sight. He called the old man, thanked him and gave him many lavish gifts.

29. What happened when the wicked old man sprinkled ashes on the cherry tree?
Answer:
When the wicked old man sprinkled ashes on the cherry tree, nothing happened at all, but the wind blew the ashes into the noses and eyes of the daimio and his wife.

30. How was the wicked old man served?
Answer:
The daimio’s guard dragged the wicked old man from the tree, flung him in a ditch by the road, then beat him soundly and left him for dead.

Short Answer Type Questions:

1. How were people expected to show deference to the daimios? What happened otherwise?
Answer:
In the days of the daimios, it was customary when the lord passed by for all the loyal people to close their high windows, some even pasted them fast with a slip of paper. This was done so that no one would be disrespectful and look down on his lordship. As his train approached, all the people on the road would prostrate themselves on the ground and remain there till the procession passed by.

2. How did the wicked couple react when they realised there was no treasure?
Answer:
The covetous old couple were enraged when they discovered the stinking carcass of the cat instead of the treasure they were expecting. Furious at the dog, the brutal old man kicked the little dog and beat him nearly to death, while the old hag dealt the last blow by nearly chopping off his head with a sharp hoe. They then tossed the battered body into the hole and heaped earth over it.

3. How did the owner of the dog react when he heard that his dog had been killed?
Answer:
The owner grieved profoundly for his dog, Muko, as if he had been his own child. He went at night under the pine tree and set up bamboo tubes in the ground just like the ones used in front of tombs. He adorned it with flowers and placed a tray of food and a cup of water on the grave. Then he lit several costly sticks of incense. He mourned a great while for his beloved pet calling him in many terms endearment just as if he were alive.

4. How did the old man make a mortar out of the pine tree?
Answer:
The old man chopped the tree and cut out of the middle of the trunk a section about two feet long. He toiled hard and scraped out a hollow place as big as a small bowl partly by fire and partly by his chisel.

5. What happened when the good old man sprinkled ashes on the bare cherry tree?
Answer:
The good old man took his wife into the garden to their favourite cherry tree which was bare because it was winter.
Then he sprinkled a pinch of ashes on the tree and in a twinkling the tree started blossoming till it was covered with a cloud of pink flowers. Their sweet scent filled the air.

6. The envious neighbour tried to get rich in the same way as the kind farmer. What happened every time that he tried?
Answer:
The first time the greedy neighbour dug up a dead kitten instead of treasure. The second time he tried, he got a mass of squirmy worms instead of gold. In the third attempt, the greedy man failed to create magic with the ashes and he spoiled the daimio’s procession. So, he was beaten up by the guard and left in the ditch to die.

G. Long answer Type Questions

1. How did the dog help his owners?
Answer:

The little dog was grateful to the kind old couple and helped them to rise above poverty and lead a comfortable life.

At first, he led the old man to a place where he began to scratch the ground vigorously. When the old man struck his hoe in the earth, he found a pile of gold.

Next, after the dog was brutally killed, he appeared in the old man’s dream and asked him to cut down the pine tree above his grave and make a mortar and mill from the wood. Before the New Year when the old couple started to make rice pastry in the mortar and bean sauce using the mill made of pine wood, suddenly the rice dough turned into a heap of gold coins and the bean sauce turned into a shining mass of gold. So, the old couple were rich again.

Finally, he appeared once more in the farmer’s dream and told him to collect the ashes of the pine wood mill which was burnt by the covetous neighbours and to sprinkle the ashes on a withered tree to make it bloom again.

The daimio was thrilled when the old man sprinkled the ashes on a cherry tree by the roadside just as the daimio’s train was passing it. The sight of the pretty pink fragrant blossoms pleased him, so he rewarded the kind old farmer with many gifts.

2. The wicked neighbour wanted to be rich like the rice farmer. What happened the first time when he tried to do so?
Answer:

The wicked neighbour was envious of the kind farmer’s good fortune. On learning that the little dog had led his owner to the treasure, he and his wife coaxed the dog into their garden.

They laid out bits of fish and other dainties before him hoping that the dog would be pleased and find treasure for them too.

But the dog was afraid of the cruel couple, so he neither ate nor moved. Impatient and angry they dragged the dog outdoors taking care to carry a spade and hoe with them.

The dog approached a pine tree and began to dig furiously. The covetous old man started dancing for joy in anticipation of the treasure. He too began digging with a spade while the old crone joined in with a hoe.

But all that they found was a dead kitten. Insane with anger, the old man kicked the dog and beat him brutally. The old hag nearly chopped off his head with a sharp hoe. They then flung him into the hole and heaped earth over his carcass.

3. What happened the second time the envious neighbours tried to get rich?
Answer:

The envious neighbour peeped through the window and saw the kind old woman making bean sauce using the hand-mill made of pine wood. She was stunned to see that each dripping of sauce turned into gold and in a few minutes the tub under the mill was full of gold.

So, the next morning the wicked neighbours borrowed the mortar and the hand-mill. They filled the bowl with boiled rice and the magic mill with beans. But as soon as the greedy man started to pound the rice and the woman started to grind, the rice pastry and the sauce turned into a mass of squirmy worms. Out of frustration they chopped the mill into pieces to use as firewood.

4. What happened the third time the greedy neighbour tried to imitate the kind old farmer?
Answer:

The envious neighbour heard that the daimio had rewarded the kind old farmer for showing him the magical sight of the withered cherry tree suddenly blooming before his eyes.

At once, the greedy man also took some of the ashes from the magic mill and waited on a top of a withered cherry tree for the daimio’s train to pass. As soon as the daimio was directly beneath him, he sprinkled a handful of ashes on the tree, but the tree did not burst into blossoms.

Instead, the wind blew the ashes into the noses and eyes of the daimio and his wife. They started to sneeze and choke. Then the daimio’s guard pulled the greedy man from the tree, threw him into the ditch, and beat him up soundly. The old man met his end in the mud.

5. What is the message of the story “The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom”?
Answer:

The story stresses the values of honesty, compassion, diligence and generosity. We see that these qualities in the kind old farmer allowed him to live in peace and plenty and both he and his wife lived to a ripe old age.

Another lesson is that one should not be greedy or envious. We see how the greedy neighbour meets a gruesome end, while the kind owners of the dog were rewarded for their love and simplicity.

The story also teaches us that we reap the fruit of our past deeds. The farmer who loved his dog deeply and was kind to everything that had life was rewarded for his compassion towards all fellow beings, whereas the wicked and avaricious man who was cruel beyond measure to dogs and took advantage of their neighbours’ simplicity was punished for his cruelty and misdeeds.

The story also tells us that we should live in perfect harmony with nature like the kind old farmer who never failed to help the hungry birds find worms by simply turning over some sods while walking to his field. Even the little dog learnt not to worry the cranes which followed the farmer’s footsteps.

There is a hint of magic realism in the story which is inspiring. The spirit of the dog is the personification of the old couple’s desire to put their past setbacks behind them and start afresh with renewed energy and vigour.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Honeycomb Unit 4 “The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom.”