
CBSE Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 4, titled The Ashes that Made Trees Bloom is an important part of the English curriculum, aimed at improving students' understanding of moral lessons through literature.
The chapter focuses on themes like kindness, loyalty, greed, and the consequences of one's actions. It helps students develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, and the ability to analyze literary elements. The exam pattern for CBSE Class 7 English includes multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, long answer questions, and some questions based on comprehension of the text.
Students are expected to understand the central message of the chapter and express it through their writing, emphasizing their ability to interpret and explain themes, characters, and events clearly. The chapter is an resource for reinforcing the importance of values through storytelling.
The story begins with an old couple who have no children but have a pet dog named Muko. They treat Muko as their child and care for him deeply. Every day, Muko accompanies the old man to the fields, and together they work peacefully, with the dog showing no harm towards other creatures like the heron in the fields.
One day, Muko leads the old man to a spot in the field where he begins scratching the ground. The old man, curious, digs in that spot and finds a large pile of gold. The old couple becomes wealthy and uses their fortune to help their neighbors and celebrate their newfound prosperity.
However, in the same village, a wicked old couple grows envious of the old couple's wealth. They decide to capture Muko and force him to lead them to treasure. Despite the good food they set before Muko, the dog refuses to eat. Eventually, they drag Muko to the same spot in the field, where the dog again scratches the ground. Instead of gold, the wicked couple finds a dead kitten. Furious, they kill the dog and bury him at that spot.
Devastated by the loss of Muko, the old man mourns deeply. One night, he dreams of Muko, who instructs him to cut down the pine tree near his grave and make a mortar and a mill from the wood. The dog assures the old man that these items will bring him great fortune.
The old man follows Muko's instructions, and when he uses the mortar to make rice pastry, it magically turns into gold coins. The old woman uses the mill to grind bean sauce, and gold falls from it like rain.
Hearing of the couple's new wealth, the wicked neighbor borrows the magical mill. However, when he uses it, instead of gold, worms come out. Frustrated, the neighbor breaks the mill into pieces, hoping to use the wood as firewood.
In The Ashes that Made Trees Bloom, the story teaches us valuable life lessons about kindness, loyalty, and the consequences of our actions. The old couple’s love and care for their pet dog, Muko, lead them to unexpected happiness and wealth. They show that when we act out of love and selflessness, good things happen. In contrast, the wicked couple’s greed and cruel behavior bring them nothing but misfortune. This shows that envy and selfishness only lead to negative outcomes.
The magical events in the story, like the transformation of the rice dough into gold and the mill that produces gold, serve as rewards for the old couple's goodness. In the end, the tale reminds us that being kind and honest is always more rewarding than being greedy. The story encourages us to treat others with compassion, because good deeds bring true happiness, while bad deeds only bring sorrow.
Students can download the notes for CBSE Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 4 The Ashes that Made Trees Bloom from the link below.
The notes provide a detailed summary of the chapter, key themes, character analysis, and moral lessons, helping students understand the important elements of the story. This will be a helpful resource for exam preparation and class discussions. Simply click on the link to access and download the full notes for easy reference.
Study without using the internet
Start by reading the chapter carefully. Understand the plot, characters, and the main message the author is trying to convey. In this story, focus on the relationship between the characters, especially the young girl, her brother, and the lessons they learn.
The story deals with themes of kindness, selflessness, and empathy. It's important to focus on how the characters' actions, like the young girl's kindness and her desire to gift chappals to her friend, show the value of giving and helping others.
Write down the key events in the story, such as the girl's act of kindness, her family's reactions, and the ending. Summarizing the events will help you remember the sequence and understand how each event contributes to the theme of the story.
Solving past year’s questions will help you understand the types of questions that are commonly asked from this chapter. Focus on questions related to character analysis, themes, and moral lessons.
