NCERT Solutions: The Ashes that Made Trees Bloom

Q1: Why did the neighbours kill the dog?

Ans: The neighbors pulled the dog around their yard in the hope of discovering a treasure. When the dog halted near a pine tree and began to scratch the ground, they excitedly dug, anticipating a valuable find. To their dismay, they only found a deceased kitten, which angered them. In their frustration, they kicked and fatally beat the dog, as it didn’t assist them in uncovering the treasure they sought.

Q2: 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. 

Ans: (a)

(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.

Ans: (c)

(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.

Ans: (c)

Working with the text

Q1: The old farmer is a kind person. What evidence of his kindness do you find in the first two paragraphs?

Ans: The old farmer was a kind person. He loved his dog as if it was his own baby. He fed it with fish with his own chopsticks and all the boiled rice it wanted. He was patient and kind to everything that had life, and often dug up a sod on purpose to give food to the birds.

Q2: What did the dog do to lead the farmer to the hidden gold?

Ans: The dog came running to the farmer, putting its paws against his legs and motioning with its head to some spot behind. He thought it was only playing and did not mind it. However, the dog kept on whining and running to and fro for some minutes. Then the farmer followed it a few yards to a place where it began scratching the ground. The farmer thought there was a bone or a bit of fish buried there and therefore, struck his hoe in the earth. However, what he found was a pile of gold.

Q3: (i) How did the spirit of the dog help the farmer first?

Ans: The spirit of the dog asked the farmer to cut down the pine tree over its grave, and make from it a mortar for rice pastry and a mill for bean sauce. The farmer did so. Some time close to the New Year, the farmer wanted to make some rice pastry. When the rice was boiled, his wife put it into the mortar and he pounded the mass into dough. When the pastry was ready for baking, the whole mass turned into a heap of gold coins. Similarly, when beans were ground in the hand mill, gold started dropping from it like rain and in a few minutes, the tub under the mill was filled with gold.
(ii) How did it help him next?
Ans: Informing the farmer about how his wicked neighbours had burned the hand mill, the spirit of the dog asked him to take the ashes of the mill and sprinkle them on withered trees to make them bloom. The old man did so and found to his delight that the words of the spirit were indeed true. The bare cherry tree in his garden sprouted blossoms when a pinch of the ashes were sprinkled on it. Later, he was rewarded by the daimio for making an old withered cherry tree blossom once again. 

Q4: Why did the daimio reward the farmer but punish his neighbour for the same act?

Ans: The daimio rewarded the farmer for making an old withered cherry tree blossom once again. Like the farmer, his greedy neighbour also sprinkled ashes over a withered cherry tree. However, the result this time was different. The tree did not blossom, while the wind blew the dust into the noses and eyes of the daimio and his wife. This was the reason why the greedy neighbour was punished.

Working With Language 

Q1: 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) ____

Ans :
(i) Where is Anil?
(ii) Where is Anil sitting?
(iii) What is Anil doing?
(iv) Where is Anil’s friend sitting?
(v) Who is writing on the blackboard?
(vi) What are some children doing?

Q2: 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 near by.

Ans:
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 near by.

Q3: 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.

Ans:
(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 where 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.

Q4: 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.

Ans :
(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.

Q5: 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.

Ans:
There was once a play 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 a letter When the old couple became rich, they lived comfortably and were generous towards their poor neighbours. 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.

Q6: Encircle the correct article.
 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.

Ans:
A: Would you like an apple or a banana?
B: I’d like an apple, please.
A: Take the red one in the fruit bowl. You may take an orange also, if you like.
B: Which one?
A: The one beside the banana.