Japan Hanasaka Jiisan

tale:japan_hanasaka_jiisan

A gentle old couple's dog leads them to buried gold; a greedy neighbor borrows the dog, finds only filth, and kills it. From the dog's grave grows a tree that yields a magic mortar, and from its ashes the kind man makes withered cherry trees burst into bloom before a lord, winning reward — while the neighbor, copying him, blinds the lord with ash and is punished. Moral: kindness blossoms; envious mimicry withers. — Japanese folktale