in a twinkling of an eye , they all turned into gold pieces . At the sight of all this gold the hearts of the old people were glad , and once more they blessed their faithful dog . But it was not long before this story also came to the ears of their envious neighbour , and he lost no time in going to the old people and asking if they happened to have a mortar which they could lend him . The old man did not at all like parting with his precious treasure , but he never could say no , so the neighbour went off with the mortar under his arm . The moment he got into his own house he took a great handful of rice , and began to shell off the husks , with the help of his wife . But , instead of the gold pieces for which they looked , the rice turned into berries with such a horrible smell that they were obliged to run away , after smashing the mortar in a rage and setting fire to the bits . The old people next door were naturally very much put out when they learned the fate of their mortar , and were not at all comforted by the explanations and excuses made by their neighbour . But that night the dog again appeared in a dream to his master , and told him that he must go and collect the ashes of the burnt mortar and bring them home . Then , when he heard that the Daimio , or great lord to whom this part of the country belonged , was expected at the capital , he was to carry the ashes to the high road , through which the procession would have to pass . And as soon as it was in sight he was to climb up all the cherry-trees and sprinkle the ashes on them , and they would soon blossom as they had never blossomed before . This time the old man did not wait to consult his wife as to whether he was to do what his dog had told him , but directly he got up he went to his neighbour 's house and collected the ashes of the burnt mortar . He put them carefully in a china vase , and carried it to the high road , Sitting down on a seat till the Daimio should pass . The cherry-trees were bare , for it was the season when small pots of them were sold to rich people , who kept them in hot places , so that they might blossom early and decorate their rooms . As to the trees in the open air , no one would ever think of looking for the tiniest bud for more than a month yet . The old man had not been waiting very long before he saw a cloud of dust in the far distance , and knew that it must be the procession of the Daimio . On they came , every man dressed in his finest clothes , and the crowd that was lining the road bowed their faces to the ground as they went by . Only the old man did not bow himself , and the great lord saw this , and bade one of his courtiers , in anger , go and inquire why he had disobeyed the ancient customs . But before the messenger could reach him the old man had climbed the nearest tree and scattered his ashes far and wide , and in an instant the white flowers had flashed into life , and the heart of the Daimio rejoiced , and he gave rich presents to the old man , whom he sent for to his castle . We may be sure that in a very little while the envious neighbour had heard this also , and his bosom was filled with hate . He hastened to the place where he had burned the mortar , collected a few of the ashes which the old man had left behind , and took them to the road , hoping that his luck might be as good as the old man 's , or perhaps even better .
His heart beat XXXXX pleasure when he caught the first glimpses of the Daimio 's train , and he held himself ready for the right moment .
On as at before by for in of that with