Kakek Penumbuh Bunga

by Shogo Hirata

An old childless couple loved their dog. One day, it dug in the garden, and they found a box of gold pieces there. A neighbor thought the dog must be able to find treasure, and managed to borrow the dog. When it dug in his garden, there were only bones, and he killed it. He told the couple that the dog had just dropped dead. They grieved and buried it under the fig tree where they had found the treasure. One night, the dog's master dreamed that the dog told him to chop down the tree and make a mortar from it. He told his wife, who said they must do as the dog asked. When they did, the rice put into the mortar turned into gold. The neighbor borrowed it, but the rice turned to foul-smelling berries, and he and his wife smashed and burned the mortar.

That night, in a dream, the dog told his master to take the ashes and sprinkle them on certain cherry trees. When he did, the cherry trees came into bloom, and the Daimio, passing by, marveled and gave him many gifts. The neighbor tried to do the same, but the ashes blew into the Daimio's eyes, so he threw him into prison; when he was let out, his village would not let him live there anymore, and he could not, with his wicked ways, find a new home.

Genres: Childrens

26 pages, paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Shogo Hirata (平田昭吾) is a picture book author and translator born in Manchuria (now Shenyang, northeastern China). He grew up in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.

A pioneer of Japanese animated picture book culture, he has published 300 volumes (330 in total). He is also highly regarded outside of Japan, with the total number of volumes published overseas exceeding 300 million by 2005.

Reviews

[octavia shinoda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cerita tentang kakek penumbuh bunga dan Pochi anjingnya mengajarkan Anak-anak kecil, seperti saya saat itu, untuk tidak tamak dan selalu berbaik hati kepada sesama. Kisah ini sungguh mengharukan dan tetap saya ingat sampai sekarang, walau bukunya telah hilang :(