The Story of the Old Man Who Made Withered Trees to Blossom

In the old, old days, there lived an honest man with his wife, who had

a favourite dog, which they used to feed with fish and titbits from

their own kitchen. One day, as the old folks went out to work in their

garden, the dog went with them, and began playing about. All of a

sudden, the dog stopped short, and began to bark, "Bow, wow, wow!"

wagging his tail violently. The old people thought that there must be

something nice to eat under the ground, so they brought a spade and

began digging, when, lo and behold! the place was full of gold pieces

and silver, and all sorts of precious things, which had been buried

there. So they gathered the treasure together, and, after giving alms

to the poor, bought themselves rice-fields and corn-fields, and became

wealthy people.

Now, in the next house there dwelt a covetous and stingy old man and

woman, who, when they heard what had happened, came and borrowed the

dog, and, having taken him home, prepared a great feast for him, and

said--

"If you please, Mr. Dog, we should be much obliged to you if you would

show us a place with plenty of money in it."

The dog, however, who up to that time had received nothing but cuffs

and kicks from his hosts, would not eat any of the dainties which they

set before him; so the old people began to get cross, and, putting a

rope round the dog's neck, led him out into the garden. But it was all

in vain; let them lead him where they might, not a sound would the dog

utter: he had no "bow-wow" for them. At last, however, the dog stopped

at a certain spot, and began to sniff; so, thinking that this must

surely be the lucky place, they dug, and found nothing but a quantity

of dirt and nasty offal, over which they had to hold their noses.

Furious at being disappointed, the wicked old couple seized the dog,

and killed him.

When the good old man saw that the dog, whom he had lent, did not come

home, he went next door to ask what had become of him; and the wicked

old man answered that he had killed the dog, and buried him at the

root of a pine-tree; so the good old fellow, with, a heavy heart, went

to the spot, and, having set out a tray with delicate food, burnt

incense, and adorned the grave with flowers, as he shed tears over his

lost pet.

But there was more good luck in store yet for the old people--the

reward of their honesty and virtue. How do you think that happened,

my children? It is very wrong to be cruel to dogs and cats.

That night, when the good old man was fast asleep in bed, the dog

appeared to him, and, after thanking him for all his kindness, said--

"Cause the pine-tree, under which, I am buried, to be cut down and

made into a mortar, and use it, thinking of it as if it were myself."

The old man did as the dog had told him to do, and made a mortar out

of the wood of the pine-tree; but when he ground his rice in it, each

grain of rice was turned into some rich treasure. When the wicked old

couple saw this, they came to borrow the mortar; but no sooner did

they try to use it, than all their rice was turned into filth; so, in

a fit of rage, they broke up the mortar and burnt it. But the good old

man, little suspecting that his precious mortar had been broken and

burnt, wondered why his neighbours did not bring it back to him.

One night the dog appeared to him again in a dream, and told him what

had happened, adding that if he would take the ashes of the burnt

mortar and sprinkle them on withered trees, the trees would revive,

and suddenly put out flowers. After saying this the dream vanished,

and the old man, who heard for the first time of the loss of his

mortar, ran off weeping to the neighbours' house, and begged them, at

any rate, to give him back the ashes of his treasure. Having obtained

these, he returned home, and made a trial of their virtues upon a

withered cherry-tree, which, upon being touched by the ashes,

immediately began to sprout and blossom. When he saw this wonderful

effect, he put the ashes into a basket, and went about the country,

announcing himself as an old man who had the power of bringing dead

trees to life again.

A certain prince, hearing of this, and thinking it a mighty strange

thing, sent for the old fellow, who showed his power by causing all

the withered plum and cherry-trees to shoot out and put forth flowers.

So the prince gave him a rich reward of pieces of silk and cloth and

other presents, and sent him home rejoicing.

So soon as the neighbours heard of this they collected all the ashes

that remained, and, having put them in a basket, the wicked old man

went out into the castle town, and gave out that he was the old man

who had the power of reviving dead trees, and causing them to flower.

He had not to wait long before he was called into the prince's palace,

and ordered to exhibit his power. But when he climbed up into a

withered tree, and began to scatter the ashes, not a bud nor a flower

appeared; but the ashes all flew into the prince's eyes and mouth,

blinding and choking him. When the prince's retainers saw this, they

seized the old man, and beat him almost to death, so that he crawled

off home in a very sorry plight. When he and his wife found out what a

trap they had fallen into, they stormed and scolded and put

themselves into a passion; but that did no good at all.

The good old man and woman, so soon as they heard of their neighbours'

distress, sent for them, and, after reproving them for their greed and

cruelty, gave them a share of their own riches, which, by repeated

strokes of luck, had now increased to a goodly sum. So the wicked old

people mended their ways, and led good and virtuous lives ever after.