The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom | English | Melody VII | Summary | Questions and Answers

 

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English | Melody VII

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Unit 4
Summary | Questions | Answers |
Lesson 4. The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom (William Elliot Griffis)

 

Short Summary

        The story ‘The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom’ is written by an American author William Elliot Griffis. The story is about an honest and hardworking old couple and their pet dog. The neighbours are troublesome, and the dog dies a sad death. The spirit of the dog gives solace and support to his master in unexpected ways. The old couple was living in Japan. The couple had a dog which they loved like their child because they had no children of their own. The dog was fond of the old couple and was always following the old man while he was at work. One day dog sniffed and found gold under the earth. The old man dug the gold out and within an hour were very rich. One of the wicked neighbours felt jealous. They persuaded the same dog so that they could get the same treasure. When they failed in every way, they furiously killed the dog. The good old couple was very sad. The dog is loyal and helps the poor couple even after his death. Read the full story from the Textbook of English Melody VII of JK or download the same as the Honeycomb series from the ncert website.

 

| English | Melody VII | Textbook | PDF

 

Comprehension Check Page No. 61

Question 1.

Why did the neighbours kill the dog?

Answer:

The neighbours killed the dog because they were furious about the dog’s way of helping them. They were expecting the dog to find the treasure for them as he did for his master, when he took them to the place of foul smell, they were very angry and killed him in anger.

 

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

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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:

The old farmer is a kind person. There are many pieces of evidence in the story that show his kindness. In the first paragraph, we find that the old couple treated the dog as if it were their own, child. They used to feed him fish pieces and offer him boiled rice.

 

Question 2.

What did the dog do to lead the farmer to the hidden gold?

Answer:

The dog put his paws against the farmer’s legs and gestured him with his head towards the hidden gold. The old man did not mind as he thought that the dog was just playing, but when the dog continued whining and running to and fro, the man followed him to the place where gold was hidden.

 

Question 3.

(i) How did the spirit of the dog help the farmer first?

Answer:

After the death of the dog, the first time, his spirit appeared in the farmer’s dream and instructed him to cut down the pine tree over his grave and make from it a mortar for his rice pastry and a mill bean sauce. The farmer did as was instructed and got a heap of gold from the baking pastry.

 

(ii) How did it help him next?

Answer:

Next time the spirit again appeared in the farmer’s dream and told him to sprinkle the ashes of the mill burned by wicked neighbours on the withered trees and they will bloom again. Meanwhile, the farmer heard that the daimio was to pass along the high road in the village. He got the opportunity and sprinkled the ashes on the cherry tree in front of the daimio, it blossomed and made the daimio happy. The daimio rewarded the old man with highly valued gifts for his act of welcoming him.

 

Question 4.

Why did the daimio reward the farmer but punish his neighbour for the same act?

Answer:

Daimio rewarded the farmer because he sprinkled the ashes on the cherry tree that blossomed and made the daimio happy. The daimio was pleased with the farmer’s act of welcoming him and rewarded him with valued gifts.

On the other hand, the wicked neighbour was punished for the same act, because when he sprinkled the ashes on the dead cherry tree nothing happened instead the ashes fell on the daimio and spoiled the whole programme that made the daimio unhappy and punishment of the neighbour.

 

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’, 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 place.

• When asked 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 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.

 

Answer:

(i) Where is Anil?

(ii) Which row is Anil sitting in?

(iii) What is Anil doing?

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

(v) What is Anil’s friend doing?

(vi) Who is writing on the blackboard?

(vii) Who is writing in copybooks?

(viii) What are 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 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.

 

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 where 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.

 

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.

 

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 a play that 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 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. Underline the correct article.

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

 

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.