Master your understanding of NCERT Exemplar Class 7 English The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom MCQ with this comprehensive collection of multiple choice questions designed specifically for CBSE 2025-26 examination preparation.
The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom is a captivating Japanese folk tale included in the NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb textbook. This beautiful story teaches students about the rewards of kindness, the destructive nature of greed, and the enduring bond between humans and their beloved pets. For Class 7 students preparing for their English examinations, practising MCQ questions based on this chapter is essential for scoring well.
Our carefully curated set of multiple choice questions covers every important aspect of this folk tale—from character analysis and plot comprehension to vocabulary usage and moral understanding. Whether you are revising for unit tests or preparing for your annual CBSE examinations, these NCERT Exemplar-aligned questions will strengthen your grasp of the chapter significantly. Students looking to explore more literature-based MCQs can also benefit from practising NCERT Exemplar Class 7 English Trees questions for poetry comprehension skills.
NCERT Exemplar Class 7 English The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom MCQ Overview
Before diving into the MCQ practice, understanding the story’s structure helps students answer questions more effectively. The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom narrates the tale of an old childless couple in Japan who adopt a stray dog named Muko. Their kindness and love towards the dog brings them unexpected fortune, while their greedy neighbours face terrible consequences for their cruelty.
Story Summary: An old Japanese couple treats their adopted dog Muko with immense love. The dog leads them to buried treasure, and later, even after death, continues blessing them through a magical mortar and ashes that make withered trees bloom. Their envious neighbours’ attempts to replicate this success end in disaster due to their greed and cruelty.
The chapter is rich with Japanese cultural elements including references to the daimio (feudal lord), traditional rice-pounding mortar, and cherry blossom symbolism. MCQs frequently test students on these cultural details alongside the narrative’s moral dimensions. The story follows a clear cause-and-effect structure where good deeds are rewarded and wickedness is punished—a pattern commonly tested in comprehension questions.
This particular folk tale appears in Unit 4 of the Honeycomb textbook and is often paired with the poem for thematic unity. Students should note that NCERT Exemplar questions tend to focus on higher-order thinking skills, asking not just what happened but why characters acted as they did and what lessons emerge from their actions.
Important Characters and Their Roles for MCQ Preparation
Understanding the characters deeply is crucial for answering NCERT Exemplar Class 7 English The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom MCQ accurately. Many questions test your ability to identify characters based on their actions or analyse their motivations.
The old couple represents virtue throughout the story. Despite being childless and poor, they shower their adopted dog with genuine affection, treating Muko like their own child. Their selfless love becomes the foundation for all the blessings they receive. When asked about the couple’s primary character trait, students should identify kindness, generosity, and contentment as key attributes.
Why This Matters: CBSE frequently frames MCQs asking students to identify which character said a particular dialogue or performed a specific action. Confusing the old man with the wicked neighbour is a common mistake that costs marks.
The wicked neighbours serve as foils to the kind couple. Their defining traits include jealousy, greed, and cruelty. They borrow Muko hoping to find treasure, but their harsh treatment of the dog reveals their true nature. MCQs often ask students to compare the two couples’ attitudes or identify the consequences each faces. For similar character-contrast questions, students can practise with NCERT Exemplar Class 6 English A Different Kind of School MCQs.
Muko the dog is central to the narrative’s magical elements. Even after death, Muko’s spirit continues blessing his loving masters—first through the mortar that produces treasure, then through the ashes that make dead trees bloom. Questions about Muko often test students on the sequence of supernatural events and what each magical transformation symbolises.
The daimio (Japanese feudal lord) appears towards the story’s climax. He witnesses the old man making withered cherry trees bloom and rewards him generously. In contrast, the daimio punishes the wicked neighbour who tries to imitate this feat but produces only ashes and dust. Understanding the daimio’s role helps answer questions about the story’s resolution.
Key Themes and Moral Lessons Tested in MCQs
The thematic richness of The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom makes it a favourite for NCERT Exemplar question setters. Students should prepare to answer MCQs on the following major themes.
Kindness and its rewards forms the story’s core message. The old couple’s unconditional love for Muko, even when they barely had enough for themselves, demonstrates that genuine affection creates lasting bonds. MCQs may ask students to identify specific instances where the couple’s kindness was displayed or what rewards resulted from their behaviour.
Important: When answering MCQs about moral lessons, avoid overly simplistic answers. The story doesn’t just say “be kind”—it specifically shows that kindness must be genuine and unconditional, not motivated by expectation of reward.
The consequences of greed receive equal emphasis. The wicked neighbours’ downfall comes not merely from wanting wealth but from their willingness to mistreat an innocent animal to get it. Their destruction of the magic mortar and misuse of the ashes show how greed corrupts even potentially good fortune. This theme connects well with character-based questions about motivation and consequence.
The bond between humans and animals transcends death in this tale. Muko’s continued blessings after death symbolise how love and loyalty create connections that even mortality cannot sever. Students should note specific details—the dog appearing in dreams, the spirit entering the mortar—for factual recall questions.
The theme of honest living versus deceitful shortcuts runs throughout. The old couple receives blessings through patience and love, never seeking treasure deliberately. The neighbours, attempting to shortcut their way to wealth, receive nothing but misfortune. MCQs testing inference skills often explore this contrast.
MCQ Practice Quiz: The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom
The following comprehensive MCQ quiz covers all essential aspects of the chapter as per NCERT Exemplar guidelines for 2025-26. Each question tests specific comprehension skills—from literal recall to inferential analysis. Attempt all questions carefully, noting which areas require additional revision.
| Class | Subject | Total Questions | Total Units | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class VI | Mathematics | 319 | 25 | View → |
| Class VII | Mathematics | 600 | 19 | View → |
| Class VIII | Mathematics | 740 | 31 | View → |
| Class IX | Mathematics | 1,638 | 33 | View → |
| Class X | Mathematics | 1,944 | 34 | View → |
| Class XI | Mathematics | 857 | 38 | View → |
| Class XII | Mathematics | 788 | 56 | View → |
After completing the quiz, review your incorrect answers thoroughly. For each mistake, return to the relevant section of the original chapter in your Honeycomb textbook. This strategy ensures you understand not just the correct answer but why other options were incorrect—a crucial skill for examination success.
Scoring Guide: 18-22 correct: Excellent command of the chapter. 14-17 correct: Good understanding, revise specific sections. Below 14: Re-read the chapter completely before attempting again.
Students who excel in folk tale comprehension often develop strong literature analysis skills applicable across grades. Those advancing to senior secondary can explore more complex narratives through resources like NCERT Exemplar Class 11 English The Tale of Melon City MCQs.
Vocabulary and Language Questions from the Chapter
NCERT Exemplar MCQs frequently test vocabulary in context—understanding what words mean based on how they’re used in the story rather than memorising dictionary definitions. The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom contains several important terms students must know.
The word daimio refers to a Japanese feudal lord, similar to a king or nobleman in Western contexts. MCQs may test whether students understand this cultural reference and the daimio’s authority to reward or punish. Understanding that the daimio’s approval signifies official recognition of the old man’s virtue adds depth to your answers.
Mortar in this story refers to the heavy bowl used for pounding rice into flour or paste—a traditional Japanese tool. Questions may ask about the mortar’s function or its magical transformation. Students sometimes confuse this with construction mortar, leading to incorrect answers.
Why This Matters: Vocabulary questions in CBSE exams are worth significant marks. Understanding terms like “covetous” (meaning greedy or envious) helps both in MCQs and in the language section of examinations.
The phrase “made trees bloom” carries symbolic weight beyond its literal meaning. The withered cherry trees representing death and decay burst into flower, symbolising renewal, hope, and the power of goodness to bring life to what seems dead. Advanced MCQs may test students on this symbolism.
Other important vocabulary includes wicked (morally bad), spite (desire to hurt), covetous (envious of others’ possessions), and hearth (the floor of a fireplace). Creating personal flashcards with these terms helps in quick revision before examinations.
Exam Preparation Strategies for Chapter MCQs
Effective preparation for NCERT Exemplar Class 7 English The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom MCQ requires a strategic approach beyond simply reading the chapter repeatedly. Follow these proven strategies used by toppers across CBSE schools.
First, read the chapter actively rather than passively. While reading, note down character names, key events, and any unfamiliar vocabulary. Create a timeline of major plot points—this helps tremendously with sequence-based MCQs that ask what happened before or after specific events.
Second, practice previous years’ questions from CBSE board papers and sample papers. While exact questions won’t repeat, the pattern and difficulty level remain consistent. Notice how questions are framed—many students lose marks not because they don’t know the answer but because they misunderstand what’s being asked.
Important: Read all four options completely before selecting your answer. Many MCQs include options that are partially correct but not the best answer. The “all of the above” option especially requires careful verification of each individual option.
Third, understand the moral dimensions deeply. CBSE increasingly frames questions that test value-based understanding. Be prepared to identify not just what the moral is but how specific story events demonstrate that moral. For instance, you might be asked which event best illustrates the theme of “greed leads to destruction.”
Fourth, revise systematically before examinations. Create summary notes covering: main characters and their traits, sequence of key events, vocabulary words, themes and morals, and Japanese cultural elements. A one-page summary reviewed the night before examination consolidates all your preparation. Similar systematic approaches work well for other chapters—students can apply these methods while practising NCERT Exemplar Class 11 English Silk Road MCQs in higher classes.