Hanasaka Jiisan: The Old Man Who Made Flowers Bloom

In a quiet Japanese village long ago, a kind old man and his gentle wife lived a simple life with no children, but they deeply loved their white dog, treating it like their own family. One day, while out in the fields, the dog suddenly began barking and digging excitedly, as if trying to say, “Dig here! Woof! Woof!” Intrigued, the old man dug at the spot and was astonished to uncover a hidden pile of gold and silver coins. The couple was overjoyed and grateful for their loyal companion.

Greed Leads to Cruelty

Their greedy and jealous neighbor, hearing about the treasure, forced the dog to help him find riches as well. When the dog barked at a spot but no treasure was found, the man, consumed by anger, cruelly killed the innocent animal. Heartbroken by the loss of their beloved companion, the kind old couple gently buried the dog in their garden and planted a tree beside its grave.

A Miracle Grows and Blossoms

To their amazement, the tree they had planted grew overnight into a tall, sturdy trunk. That night, the old man dreamed of the dog, who instructed him to carve the tree into a mortar for pounding rice. When he did, each time he pounded rice, gold coins appeared. Hearing this, the greedy neighbor borrowed the mortar, but no treasure came to him, and in a fit of rage, he burned it and returned only the ashes. That night, the dog appeared once more in the old man's dream, telling him to scatter the ashes on the lifeless trees in his garden. Miraculously, by morning, the bare trees had burst into full bloom with cherry blossoms—even though it was the dead of winter.

Kindness Is Rewarded, Greed Is Punished

As the emperor happened to pass by and saw the unexpected winter blossoms, he was deeply impressed and rewarded the kind old man with gifts and great honor. Hoping to gain the same fortune, the greedy neighbor tried to imitate him by scattering ashes on his own trees, but nothing bloomed. Instead, the ashes blew into the emperor’s eyes, causing irritation and anger. Enraged, the emperor ordered the greedy man to be arrested on the spot.