• The Konohana Tree

    Revenge... Isn’t it sweet? When you grasp your chance at it and take it... Killing, blood and everything else... That isn’t the only type of revenge. There’s going against something that you know you can’t do. There is even fighting the power. And finally there’s the good kind of revenge the one that can’t be explained when it happens.

    Deep in Japan there was a small town called Chiisai (Meaning small) where beautiful Konohana trees bloom every Sakura festival. Where it is isolated high above Hana valley and the moon shines brightly showing that the Moon rabbit is pounding the rice in its mortar to make Mochi for those who are kind hearted. That’s where I met my fate. My sorry and deadly fate that got me killed. I started out on the streets sniffing garbage for my daily meal to see if any one left any rice. Some days I was lucky others I’d just howl at the moon begging the moon god to give me some food but I only get told to shut up. But this one day (I guess even miracles could happen to dogs like me) a married couple came up to me scratching behind my ear speaking to each other with loving warm words. “Come on boy. You can come home with us.”The woman said in a warm gentle voice as she held out a bowl of rice setting it down in front of me. I waited looking up at them with my beady black eyes before smelling the rice before taking a small bite. It was warm like a summer’s day it was tasteful and wonderful to eat fresh. I got stroked again and a scratch behind the ear. I had found a place where I belong I had found home.

    They walked home while I padded next to the woman who seemed very fond of me. She had beautiful golden blond hair and was very young she had a soft warm voice that could sooth the whiniest of babies and toddlers. “Aw... She looks cute... What are we going to call her?”The man asked in a deep lovingly voice. “How about we call her Konohana?”The woman asked and the man nodded, happy to call me Konohana. They unlocked the door to the small house and I sat at the door looking at them when they glanced back at me motioning for me to follow while they spoke the way you’d speak to a baby. In a wittle tone of voice that makes you pronounce little like wittle or sorry like sowwy. Silly humans aren’t they Silly?

    I padded my way inside the house looking at all they had, which wasn’t much, they had three rooms; a kitchen, a bedroom and a tea room. I let out a small whine and the couple walked over to me kneeling down to my size and petted me “Don’t worry. We’ll look after you.”The wife calmly whispered in her mellow voice. Yea right... That’s what my last owners said and look what they did to me... They left me on the streets as a stray. The woman started to walk and I followed close behind she giggled when I let out a playful bark, my tongue sticking out while I panted looking up at her. “You can sleep in here Konohana.”The woman sung out happily looking at the tea room and I barked running inside looking around and sniffed the full room. It smelt of Tea. Although judging by the fact it was indeed a tea room there was no surprise to me. Looking down at me the man chuckled at seeing how happy I was with where I was staying. I must thank them. I must thank them some how... I yawned and lied down on the floor closing my eyes drifting off in to the first sleep I’ve had in ages since I was left as a stray.

    Morning came I saw a better image of the married couple the woman was tall and slim she had beautiful golden blond hair, crystal blue eyes that could brighten up anyone’s day if she smiled at them and in my head I thought she might as well have been a model on a magazine. The Man was tall as well but he wasn’t as thin as the woman he was slightly muscular and had short curly blond hair, his eyes were brown like tree bark in the woods and his smile was cool and calm. I thought they made a perfect couple in my opinion. “Okay Konohana what do you want to do today?”The woman asked smiling cheerfully at me when I wagged my tail looking at them “How about we play in the garden?”The man asked and I barked with glee running around chasing my tail before running through the sliding door to the outside garden. The garden was large it had several Konohana trees planted by the fences and then there was one large Konohana tree strongly in bloom. I know what I’m going to do to repay them. The small thought echoed in my head for a few moments when I stared at the large Konohana tree. Little do the humans know kindness pays back with gratitude I must pay them back somehow because I am Daikoki Japanese god of wealth in disguise here to repay those who are good and cast revenge on those who are evil. I smelt the air. Looking around the garden I stood at the foot of the Konohana tree my claws scratching at the ground until I hit something hard and wooden from my mouth escaped a bark and the married couple stepped outside to see what was wrong, they peered down at me in the way to show what was wrong I pawed at a small box. The small box was made out of pure green Jade the couple dug it out placing it in front of them looking down at it then opened the jade box. In its contents were many gold pieces the couple could hardly believe their eyes staring down at the chips of real gold they were rich.

    Peering over the fence was the neighbour his long pointed nose with a wart on the end he peered down at me ugly thoughts going through his ugly head. The neighbour walked in to the garden “Give me that dog!”He snarled at the married couple but they refused to hand me over so he charged over to me grabbing me by the scruff of the neck forcing me in to his garden. “Find me some gold dog! And I might let you go free.”He said his voice would scare little children trying to sleep. I wasn’t going to give him gold. I wandered over to a tree and started to dig, only finding old bones I dug again in a different spot, more old bones. The neighbour’s face went red “You wretched dog! How dare you pull a trick on me?”He yelled at the top of his voice grasping a shovel and struck down on my head many times I let out a loud howl and whimper in pain as he struck me over and over again until I was lying there. Still. Dead. Silent. The neighbour snarled angrily dragging my dead body back to the married couple who had went inside crying about me being stolen, he left me on their door step knocking twice and walked away grumbling angry words to himself. The married couple let out a shriek when they saw my bloody corpse lying there on their white door step now dyed red due to the wounds the neighbour inflicted on me. They carried me inside putting me in the tea room and lit a candle in my memory while the mourned about my death. Night finally came and the couple went to bed exhausted after making Mochi for my departure so I wouldn’t get hungry along the way and even left some Sake in case I get thirsty.
    My caring male master had a dream that night, I was in it, he stood there staring at my ghost as I spoke to him in a calm feminine voice “Bury my body below the Konohana tree and put anything you find the next day on to your tea table and have a large meal.”I requested to him before I faded away in to the night. The morning came and my master awakened he turned to his wife gently shaking her to wake her up “Lets bury Konohana underneath the Konohana tree.”He told her and she rubbed her eyes sleepily sitting up “Why?”She asked quietly “because Konohana came to me in a dream and told me to.”He stated before they nodded in agreement grasping shovels and buried me underneath the Konohana tree. After spending the day mourning once again they had buried me with Mochi and Sake to help me on my way once again before they went to bed to sleep for a second time. My beautiful female mistress had a dream that night, I was in it, she stood there staring at my ghost as I spoke to her in a calm feminine voice “Please don’t be afraid. I am not haunting you I am here to help you. Your kindness shall shine over all.”I believed she wasn’t afraid of me before I faded away in to the night once again. Morning came and the couple woke up hurrying outside to see what the reason was for burying me under the Konohana tree. There, caught on the lower branch was a golden table cloth the couple removed it from the branch and did as I requested. They walked inside and placed the table cloth out on the tea table and then positioned the cutlery and dishes on top of the gold table cloth, almost suddenly as if by magic the cutlery and the plates turned in to solid gold. A miracle had happened they thanked the gods and goddesses for the wonderful gift they also thanked me the god of wealth.

    Sooner or later the neighbour heard about the golden table cloth so he barged in “Give me that table cloth!”He yelled grabbing it and ran away home. With greed in his eyes he laid out the table cloth and then rubbed his hands putting all the cutlery and plates he could find on the table. Expecting gold he got a large shock the cutlery started to move and hiss as they transformed in to rattle snakes and worms slithering on the table the plates wobbled and jiggled at that, they transformed in to ugly Jellyfish their stingers zapping the snakes slightly when they passed. The neighbour looked horrified at the sight of what had happened “You wretched Gods! I’ll burn this cursed cloth!”He yelled at the top of his voice to the heavens and with that he grasped the cloth pulling it out, not caring if anything falls to the floor, then made his way over to the furnace and threw it inside “That’s what I think of your gold table cloth!”He bellowed walking inside his house angrily. The married couple seen this act of rage caused by the neighbour they gasped in shock when he burnt the table cloth, silently they moved over towards the burnt remains of the cloth seeing the ashes they accepted the fact it was their fault for letting the neighbour steal it. Gathering the ashes in the small jade box (the one I found before under the place I’m now buried) the couple toddled inside crying, placing the box by the window and when night came, went to sleep.

    My caring male master had a dream that night, I was in it, he stood there staring at my ghost as I spoke to him in a calm feminine voice “Use the ashes and make a mortar and make some Mochi for yourselves.”I requested to him before I faded away in to the night. Morning came my master awakened and turned to his wife and whispered “Let’s make a mortar out of the ashes from the cloth and make some Mochi.” My mistress looked at him quizzically. “Are you sure? Well I guess it’ll be okay.” My mistress said quietly then they got out of bed gathered up some clay and mixed the ashes in the clay, moulded it in to a Mortar and heated it up in the furnace. A few hours later they removed the mortar and put rice inside of it about to pound it but suddenly the rice turned in to solid gold the married couple were surprised about this and put more rice in side getting more and more gold rice “Wow! We’re rich!”The married couple exclaimed then looked at the rice “We should give some to people less fortunate than we are.”My Master said beaming with happiness as his wife agreed with him. The Neighbour looked through the window at the mortar filled with gold. The Neighbour burst through the door “Give me that mortar!”He yelled and snatched it then ran away home. His greedy eyes looking at the brown clay pot he grabbed some of his rice and placed it inside. The next minute the rice started to move and squirm like worms, he placed his hand inside feeling something squishy and horrible to touch and his gaze fixed on what used to be rice. “AHH Maggots!”He shrieked retracting his hand back. “You wretched gods! I’ll smash this cursed mortar!”He shouted and with that he threw it outside smashing the mortar in to pieces. The neighbour had enough by now he grabbed his axe and marched next door cutting down the Konohana tree I was buried under then he turned to the other Konohana trees and cut them down too. The couple witnessed this and when night came the couple went to sleep upset about the mortar and their Konohana trees.

    My beautiful mistress had a dream that night, I was in it, she stood there staring at my ghost as I spoke to her in a calm feminine voice “Collect those clay shards and grind them up. Then sprinkle them on the trees that were destroyed.”I requested to her before I faded away in to the night for the last time. Morning came and my master and mistress awakened from their dreams “Love, I think we should grind those shards up and sprinkle them on the cut down Konohana trees.”She suggested and my master nodded claiming he had the same dream about me telling them what to do. So they gathered up the clay shards, ground them up in to a fine brown powder and walked outside. My master grabbed a hand full of the powder and threw it over the dead Konohana trees, at first nothing happened but then the trees started to grow once again and swiftly bloomed in to pink cherry blossoms (Which often grow on Konohana trees) filling the air with a sweet scent of cherry blossom. Passing by was a great samurai (Samurais were often very rich and popular in any Japanese village as they killed plenty of Oni (Demons) and evil gods) who glanced at the beautiful Konohana trees “Amazing! How did you get them to bloom like that?”He asked curiously and fascinated by the Konohana trees. “Oh all we did was follow our dog’s request.”My master said and showed him the magic powder and threw it over the other Konohana trees making them burst in to bloom “Astonishing! Here take these gifts!”The Samurai congratulated while pulling out one million Yen and ordering some of his servants to give them the finest silk he had with him.

    The neighbour saw this scene and snarled grabbing a shard that the couple had missed, ground it down in to fine brown powder, put it in a bag and charged outside “Don’t give them gifts I am the best flower bloomer in the whole world. Look as I make these dead Konohana trees bloom!”He bellowed with that he grabbed a hand full of the powder and threw it at the Konohana trees but instead the wind blew and the powder went in the samurai’s eye “My eyes! You insolent fool!”The samurai snarled angrily. “You’re the one who stole Konohana, the table cloth and the mortar off us!”My master snapped angrily at the neighbour. “Send him to jail!”The samurai yelled and as a consequence the neighbour was sent to jail for thievery and injuring a samurai (who is like a VIP in Japan! So it’s the equivalent of attacking the queen or a Pope)
    The couple were praised for their magic powder “We thank the gods for all this especially our dog, Konohana. Thank you Konohana! We’ll never forget you!”They cried happily as night came they went to bed exhausted none of them had a dream of me this time, for I was resting too. “What a chaotic week.”I muttered sleepily to the Moon Rabbit “Yea but you’re the god of wealth therefore you’ve been a busy bunny.”The Moon Rabbit said while pounding the Mochi with her mallet, I laughed at her small joke “But so have you Moon Rabbit. Every night you pound Mochi in the moon light to give to the good. Could you do me a favour and give my Master and Mistress some of your Mochi?”I asked giving the rabbit a smile as she nodded “Yea sure! I’ll take it to them now.”Said the Moon Rabbit, she was not very tall in fact she was just a small white rabbit with golden wings for ears. She flew down carrying a basket filled with Mochi. (Mochi in fact is a rice paste. Rice is put in a mortar and pounded with water or some special liquid to make a special paste then shaped in to little rolls and can be cooked then eaten. A Very popular treat eaten and made on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.) She flew gracefully like a shooting star and landed inside the house she placed the basket filled with Mochi next to the couple’s bed then flew away back to the heavens and stars where she lived.

    Around a few months passed and the couple had a little girl they named her Konohana after the tree and myself, the neighbour had been released from jail since they couldn’t stand his constant talking and I lived in heaven with all my godly friends enjoying my old life once again. But this isn’t the end of the story, I still need to explain about the neighbour, he was heading back to the village and every dog he passed big or small, black or white, fat or thin, they growled at him angrily. The neighbour turned to run but the dogs struck him down trying to tear him apart for what he did to me. After the dogs had finished with the neighbour, he wasn’t dead; the neighbour got up and stumbled down the village “Criminals like you aren’t welcome here in this village! Leave!” The villagers yelled throwing some powder at him like what he done to the samurai, he ran away to the mountains, tripped on a small dog, falling down the mountain to never be seen again.

    I think I got my revenge hopefully he’ll be sent to the Oni world where demons and Oni can torture him for eternity (Which is a long time) and if he gets brought in to our world I think every god would try to kill him and give him a bad time here in heaven. Was my revenge satisfying for all you? Good because I can’t tell the story again. Ask a friend to tell you. Hope you had a good time. Oh also. And we all lived happily ever after. Except from the Neighbour who was sent to the Oni world where he was punished for his awful crimes.