The Old Man Who Made the Trees Bloom
Once upon a time, there was a kind old man and his wife. They didn’t have children, but they loved their small white dog, Shiro, very much. Shiro was very loyal and always stayed with them.
One day, while working in their field, Shiro started barking and digging at a certain spot. The old man, curious about what Shiro found, started digging too. To his surprise, he found a lot of gold and silver coins buried in the ground. The old man and his wife were very happy and shared their new wealth with their neighbors, who were also kind people.
However, one greedy and mean neighbor saw this and became jealous. He asked to borrow Shiro, thinking the dog would find treasure for him too. The kind old man agreed, and the greedy neighbor took Shiro to his field. Shiro started digging, but this time they only found dirt and rocks. Angry and frustrated, the greedy neighbor killed Shiro and buried him in his field.
The kind old man and his wife were heartbroken when they found out. They went to the greedy neighbor’s field and mourned for Shiro. They took some of Shiro’s ashes and scattered them over a dead tree in their garden. To their amazement, the tree suddenly bloomed with beautiful cherry blossoms.
News of this miracle spread quickly, and even the lord of the region heard about it. He invited the old man to his castle to perform the same miracle. The old man took more of Shiro’s ashes and scattered them over a dead tree in the lord’s garden. Once again, the tree bloomed beautifully.
The lord was so impressed that he rewarded the old man with great wealth and honored him. The greedy neighbor saw this and tried to do the same. He scattered ashes over a dead tree in the lord’s garden, but instead of blooming, the ashes blew into the lord’s eyes, making him very angry. The greedy neighbor was punished for his deceit and greed.
The kind old man and his wife lived happily ever after, always remembering their beloved dog, Shiro, who brought them such happiness and fortune.
This story teaches us that kindness and generosity are rewarded, while greed and cruelty lead to trouble.