The Old Man Who Made the Dead Trees Blossom
Once upon a time, there lived a kind and gentle old man and his wife. They had no children but loved their small white dog, Shiro, as if it were their own child. Shiro was very loyal and always stayed close to them.
One day, while working in the fields, Shiro started barking and digging in a specific spot. The old man, curious, started to dig as well and found a large amount of gold and silver coins buried in the ground. The old man and his wife were overjoyed and shared their newfound wealth with their neighbors, who were equally kind-hearted.
However, a greedy and cruel neighbor saw their fortune and became envious. He asked to borrow Shiro, thinking the dog would find treasure for him too. The kind old man reluctantly agreed, and the greedy neighbor took Shiro to his field. Shiro started digging, but instead of gold and silver, they found only dirt and stones. In a fit of rage, the greedy neighbor killed Shiro and buried him in his field.
The kind old man and his wife were heartbroken when they learned what had happened. 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 burst into full bloom, covered in 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 some more of Shiro’s ashes and scattered them over a dead tree in the lord’s garden. Once again, the tree blossomed beautifully.
The lord was so impressed that he rewarded the old man with great wealth and honored him with high esteem. The greedy neighbor, seeing this, tried to imitate the old man by scattering ashes over a dead tree in the lord’s garden. But instead of blossoming, the ashes blew into the lord’s eyes, making him angry. The greedy neighbor was punished for his deceit and greed.
The kind old man and his wife lived happily ever after, always cherishing the memory of their beloved dog, Shiro, who had brought them such fortune and joy.
This story teaches the values of kindness, generosity, and the consequences of greed and cruelty.