Hanasaka Jiisan facts for kids
Hanasaka-jiisan (花咲か爺) is a famous folk story from Japan. The name means "old man who made flowers blossom." This wonderful tale became very popular in Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868). It teaches us about kindness, greed, and how good deeds are rewarded.
Contents
The Story of Hanasaka-jiisan
This heartwarming Japanese folk tale is about a kind old man named Hanasaka-jiisan. He loved growing beautiful cherry blossom trees. He and his wife had a special white puppy that they cherished.
The Lucky Discovery
One day, while the old man was working, his puppy started barking, “Koko-hore-wan-wan!” This meant, "Dig here! Bark bark!" The old man listened to his dog and began to dig in that spot. To his surprise, he found a large amount of gold! This discovery made the kind old man and his wife very rich and happy.
The Jealous Neighbors
Their neighbors, however, were not kind. They saw the old man's good fortune and became very jealous. These greedy neighbors decided to steal the white puppy. They wanted the dog to find treasure for them too. They forced the dog to search, but the dog only found useless rubbish. Because of this, the cruel neighbors treated the dog very badly, and sadly, the dog passed away.
A Dream and a Miracle
The kind old man and his wife were heartbroken with grief. The neighbors gave them the dog's ashes. That night, the dog appeared to the old man in a dream. The dog told him, "Please scatter my ashes on the dead cherry blossom tree!"
The old man followed his beloved dog's instructions. When he scattered the ashes, a miracle happened! The dead cherry blossom tree suddenly burst into full bloom, covered in beautiful flowers. A powerful feudal lord was passing by and saw this amazing sight. He was so impressed by the old man's kindness and the miracle that he praised him greatly and gave him many gifts.
See also
- Hanasaka Jiisan para niños (in Spanish)
