About the Author
This story is an old Japanese tale from long ago, when rich landowners called daimios ruled parts of Japan. It is a folktale, which means it was passed down from one person to another by telling it over many years. No one person wrote it down first, but it teaches good lessons about being kind.
What’s the Story About?
This is a fun and magical story about a kind old couple and their clever pet dog. Let me tell it in simple words, step by step, so you can picture it like a movie in your head.
Once upon a time in old Japan, there lived a poor old man and his wife. They worked hard in their small rice fields but never had much money. They had no kids, but they loved their little white dog named Muko like he was their own child. They fed him tasty bits of food and played with him every day. Muko was smart and loyal, always wagging his tail happily.
One sunny day, while the old man was working in the field, Muko started digging at a spot under the ground. He barked and pawed like something exciting was there. The old man dug too and found a big box full of gold coins! The couple was overjoyed. They used the gold to buy more land, build a nice home, and share food with their poor friends and neighbors. Everyone in the village loved them more, and they petted Muko even more for his help.
But not everyone was happy. Next door lived a mean old couple who were greedy and jealous. They hated dogs and treated everyone badly. When they heard about the gold, they wanted it for themselves. One day, they tricked Muko into coming to their yard with some food. Muko smelled something wrong and wouldn't eat. The mean man got angry and dragged Muko to a pine tree. Muko scratched the ground there, so they thought treasure was hidden. They dug and found only a dirty dead kitten—yuck! Furious, the mean couple beat poor Muko to death and buried him under the pine tree.
The kind old man was heartbroken. He cried like he lost a real child and went to the grave every day to mourn. That night, Muko's spirit came to him in a dream. The dog said, "Cut down the pine tree where they buried me and make a big wooden bowl and a grinder from the wood." The old man did just that. It was hard work, but he made the bowl for pounding rice and the grinder for beans.
On New Year's Day, the old couple used the bowl and grinder to make special sweets. To their surprise, the rice and beans turned into shining gold coins! They became rich again and thanked Muko's spirit.
The mean neighbors spied on them and begged to borrow the bowl and grinder. When they tried it, instead of gold, it made dirty worms and mud. They got so mad that they smashed the bowl and grinder and burned the pieces in a fire.
Muko's spirit visited the old man's dream again. This time, he said, "Collect the ashes from the burned wood and sprinkle them on dry, dead trees. They will bloom with flowers and more gold." The old man asked the mean couple nicely for the ashes. They laughed at him and gave a little, but not happily.
Winter came, and the mean couple had a cherry tree that was all dry and dead. The old man sprinkled some ashes on it. Suddenly, the tree burst into beautiful pink flowers, even in the cold! The sweet smell filled the air, and the whole village ran to see the magic. People cheered for the kind old man.
Soon, news spread to the daimio, the rich lord of the land. He was passing through the village in a grand parade with his wife in a fancy carried box. Everyone had to bow low on the ground to show respect. The old man, being old, didn't have to bow, so he climbed a dry cherry tree by the road. Instead of bowing, he threw the ashes on the tree. Poof! It bloomed with flowers right away. The daimio was amazed and happy. He gave the old man gifts like silk clothes, yummy cakes, pretty fans, and bags of rice. He even invited him to the castle!
The mean old man saw this and got jealous again. He took the rest of the ashes and climbed another tree during the daimio's next parade. He threw the ashes everywhere, but nothing happened. The ashes just flew into the daimio's face and made him and his wife sneeze and cough. The parade turned into a mess! The guards got angry, beat the mean man badly, and left him in the mud to suffer.
In the end, the kind old couple lived a long, happy life full of friends, food, and no worries. They never forgot their dear Muko.
Who’s Who in the Story
Here are the main people and animals in the story. Think of them like characters in a play:
- The Kind Old Man and His Wife: They are the heroes. Poor farmers who are always nice, hardworking, and share what they have. They love animals and people.
- Muko: The smart white dog. He is loyal and helps his family find treasure, even after he dies through magic dreams.
- The Mean Old Man and His Wife: The bad neighbors. They are greedy, cruel, and jealous. They hurt Muko and try to steal the magic but fail.
- The Daimio: The powerful lord. He rides in a fancy parade and rewards good magic but punishes bad tricks.
Themes and Moral
This story has some big ideas that teach us how to live better:
- Be Kind and Good: The old couple is patient and shares with others. Because of this, good things like gold and flowers come to them. It shows that helping animals and friends brings luck.
- Greed is Bad: The mean neighbors want everything for themselves. Their jealousy makes them do wrong things, and it ends up hurting them a lot.
- Loyalty Pays Off: Muko loves his family so much that he helps them from the spirit world. True friends stick with you forever.
The main moral is: Treat others with love and respect, especially animals. Bad actions like being mean or greedy will bring trouble, but good hearts get happy endings.
Important Vocabulary and Phrases
Here are some key words and short phrases from the story. I picked easy ones and explained them like chatting with a friend. Use them in sentences to practice!
- Benevolent: Kind and helpful to everyone. (Like the old man who shares his gold with poor people.)
- Barren: Empty and dry, with no plants growing. (The cherry tree was barren in winter until the magic ashes touched it.)
- Covetous: Wanting badly what others have, in a greedy way. (The mean neighbor was covetous of the old man's treasure.)
- Mortar: A strong bowl for smashing or mixing food. (The old man made a mortar from the pine tree to pound rice.)
- Withered: Shriveled and dead-looking, like a plant without water. (The old couple sprinkled ashes on the withered tree, and it came alive!)
- Prostrate: Lying flat on the ground to show respect. (Everyone had to get prostrate when the daimio passed by.)
- Palanquin: A box carried by men on poles, like a moving throne. (The daimio's wife sat in a silk-covered palanquin during the parade.)
- Phrase: "As white as snow": Very clean and white. (Muko's fur was as white as snow, shining in the sun.)
- Phrase: "Burst into bloom": Suddenly grow flowers all over. (The cherry tree burst into bloom, filling the air with pink petals.)
- Phrase: "Heartbroken": Very sad, like your heart is broken. (The old man was heartbroken when Muko died.)
Try using these in your own stories!