NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Chapter 4 - The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom

Page No: 60 Comprehension Check

1. Why did the neighbours kill the dog?

Ans: The greedy neighbours heard about the good luck brought to the couple by the dog. They got jealous and coaxed the dog into their garden, in the hope that he would find a buried treasure for them. The dog scratched and pawed the ground under a pine tree.

Immediately they started digging the ground but in vain. There they found nothing but a dead kitten so they became furious at the dog. They beat him to death and flung him into the hole.

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.

Ans: (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.

Ans: (b) invited their greedy neighbours to a feast.

(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) a pile of gold.

Page No: 63 Working with the Text

Answer the following questions.

1. 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 and his wife loved their pet dog as their child. They fed him fish from their own chopsticks and all the boiled rice he wanted. He was patient and kind to everything that had life and often turned up a sod on purpose to give food to the birds.

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

Ans: The dog came running to the farmer and kept on whining and running to and fro till the farmer followed him. The dog began scratching the earth. Thinking it was possibly a buried bone or fish, the farmer struck his hoe in the earth and found the hidden gold. In this way the dog led the farmer to the hidden gold.

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

Ans: After the dog’s death the dog kept helping the farmer.The spirit of the dog asked the farmer in his dream to cut down the pine tree over his grave and make a mortar for rice pastry and a mill for bean sauce and it turned into a pile of gold.

(ii) How did it help him next? 

Ans: The spirit of the dog informed the farmer in his dream that his wicked neighbours had burnt the hand-mill. He advised him to take the ashes of the mill and sprinkle them on the withered trees so they would bloom again.

Page No: 64

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

Ans: The farmer had the magical ashes. He made the old withered cherry tree blossom once again by sprinkling the ashes. So, the daimio rewarded the farmer for this. When his greedy neighbour heard about it, he took the ashes and when daimio was passing on the highway, he threw a handful of ashes over the tree. The tree did not blossom; rather wind blew the fine dust in the noses and eyes of the daimio and his wife. That is why his neighbour was punished for the same act.

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’, ‘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 places.
• When asked about time.
• Why ask about reason or purpose?
• How to ask 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.

Ans: 

(i) Where is Anil?

(ii) Where is Anil sitting?

(iii) What is he doing?

(iv) Where is Anil’s friend sitting?

(v) What is Anil’s friend doing?

(vi) Who is writing on the blackboard?

(vii) What are some children doing?

Page No: 65

2. Write appropriate question words in the blank spaces in the following dialogue.

NEHA: _____ did you get this book? SHEELA: Yesterday morning.

Ans: When

NEHA: _____ is your sister crying? 

SHEELA: Because she has lost her doll. 

Ans: Why

NEHA: _____ room is this, yours or hers? SHEELA: It’s ours. 

Ans: Whose

NEHA: _____ Do you go to school?

SHEELA: We walk to school. It is nearby.

Ans: How

3. Fill in the blanks with the words given in the box. 

(i) My friend lost his chemistry book. Now he doesn't know _____ to do and ____ to look for it.

Ans: what ; where

(ii) There are so many toys in the shops. Neena can’t decide _____ one to buy.

Ans: which

(iii) You don’t know the way to my school. Ask the policeman _____to get there.

Ans: how

(iv) You should decide soon _____to start building your house.

Ans: when

(v) Do you know _____ to ride a bicycle? I don’t remember _____and _____I learnt it.

Ans: how ; when , where

(vi) “You should know _____ to talk and _____to keep your mouth shut,” the teacher advised Anil.

Ans: when ; when

Page No: 66

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.

(i) The project appears very difficult at first sight but it can be completed if we work very hard.

Ans: impossible

(ii) He lacks competence. That’s why he can’t keep any job for more than a year.

Ans: is incompetent

(iii) “Don’t lose patience. Your letter will come one day,” the postman told me.

Ans: be impatient

(iv) That’s not a proper remark to make under the circumstances.

Ans: an improper

(v) He appears to be without sensitivity. In fact, he is very emotional.

Ans: insensitive

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.

• 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 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. Encircle the correct article.

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

A: Would you like (a/an/the) apple or (a/an/the) banana? 

Ans: an ; a

B: I’d like (a/an/the) apple, please.

Ans: an

A: Take (a/an/the) red one in (a/an/the) fruit bowl. You may take (a/an/the) orange also, if you like.

Ans: the , a ; an

B: Which one?

A: (a/an/the) one beside (a/an/the) banana. 

Ans: the , the

Speaking and Writing

1. Do you remember an anecdote or a story about a greedy or jealous person and the unhappy result of his/her action? Narrate the story to others in your class.

Here is one for you to read.

Seeing an old man planting a fig tree, the king asked why he was doing this. The man replied that he might live to eat the fruit, and, even if he did not, his son would enjoy the figs.

“Well,” said the king, “if you do live to eat the fruit of this tree, please let me know.” The man promised to do so, and sure enough, before too long, the tree grew and bore fruit. Packing some fine figs in a basket, the old man set out for the palace to meet the king.

The king accepted the gift and gave orders that the old man’s basket be filled with gold. Now, next door to the old man, there lived a greedy old man jealous of his neighbour’s good fortune. He also packed some figs in a basket and took them to the palace in the hope of getting gold. The king, on learning the man’s motive, ordered him to stand in the compound and had him pelted with figs. The old man returned home and told his wife the sad story. She consoled him by saying, “You should be thankful that our neighbour did not grow coconuts.”

Ans: One upon a time there lived a king. He was never satisfied with whatever he had. Everyday he prayed to God to give him more wealth. One day God appeared in front of him while he was praying. He was overwhelmed to see God; God told him to ask for anything and he would grant. The greedy king asked for a wish i.e whatever he touched would become gold. God granted him.

He was very happy to get his wish fulfilled. He touched doors and windows that turned into gold. Whatever he touched became gold. At night when he sat to have his meal. As he touched the food, it became gold.  He kept on chewing but couldn't eat. Days passed by and he couldn't eat anything and became weaker and weaker day by day. He started crying with hunger and prayed to God again to ask for an apology and promised that he will remain happy with whatever he had and would never ask for more and more.

2. Put each of the following in the correct order. Then use them appropriately to fill the blanks in the paragraph that follows. Use correct punctuation marks.

• English and Hindi/both/in/he writes
• and only/a few short stories/many books in English/in Hindi
• is/my Hindi/than my English/much better

Ans:  Ravi Kant is a writer, and he writes in both English and Hindi. Of course, he is much happier writing in English than in Hindi. He had written a few short stories in Hindi and many books in English. I find his books a little hard to understand. My Hindi is much better than my English.

3. Are you fond of reading stories? Did you read one last month? If not, read one or two and then write a paragraph about the story. Use the following hints.

• title of the story
• name of author
• how many characters
• which one you liked
• some details of the story
• main point(s) as you understand it

Tell your friends why they should also read it.

Ans: 

Title : All that glitters is not gold.

Name of the Author: Anonymous

How many Characters: 2

Which one you liked: The Deer

Some details: 

• This takes place in a forest.

• The deer saved his life by running.

Main points to understand: Be happy and satisfied with what you have.

They should read it because it has very high moral values.

NCERT Solution Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 4 The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom

NCERT Class 7 English syllabus covers two books, namely, The Honey Comb, and An Alien Hand supplementary reader. Both are NCERT Books for Class 7 and are written very efficiently which can be understood by students easily. The books have 10 chapters each, making a total of 20 chapters. Among them some are poems and some are prose. 

The chapters are written in an engaging manner so students can summarize the content of the story well. Students should learn the poet’s name of every poem which may be asked in the exam.

Class 7 NCERT English Honeycomb Chapter 4 The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom is written by William Elliot Griffis. The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom is a Japanese story about an honest and hardworking old couple and their pet dog. The neighbours are troublesome and create problems in every situation and sadly, the dog dies. The spirit of the dog gives energy and support to his master in a very different way. The old couple did not have their child, so they considered the pet dog as their little child.

The author explains the story very well. The story is written in a descriptive manner. By reading the chapter once, students can easily understand what the author wants to express and the story describes the different values as well as different traits in the chapter. This story emphasizes values such as honesty, compassion, and so on.

The NCERT English book has different kinds of practice questions which helps the students to understand the chapter and practice some of the questions so they can perform well in the examinations. And for the solutions to these questions students should refer to Vedantu as the answers are explained in detail by subject experts. 

The solutions of the NCERT Class 7 English Chapter 4 The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom questions are explained by subject experts in easy language which can be understood by every student. 

NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapterwise Solutions

• Chapter 1 - Three Questions

• Chapter 2 - A Gift of Chappals

• Chapter 3 - Gopal and the Hilsa Fish

• Chapter 4 - The Ashes that Made Trees Bloom

• Chapter 5 - Quality

• Chapter 6 - Expert Detectives

• Chapter 7 - The Invention of Vita – Wonk

• Chapter 8 - Fire Friend and Foe

• Chapter 9 - A Bicycle in Good Repair

• Chapter 10 - The Story of Cricket

Benefits of NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 4 The Ashes that Made Trees Blossom

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