Some Beautiful Storys

The last leaf

       It is autumn.the wind is blowing  hard  and  it is raining  heavily. All the  leaves  on an ivy  creeper have  fallen, except  one. Why does not  the  last  leaf fall?

    Sue and  Johnny, two  young artists,shared a small flat.
     The flat was on the third storey of an old house.
Johnsy fell very seriously ill in November.
she had  pneumonia.
she would lie in her bed without moving.
just gazing out of the window.
sue, her friend ,became very worried.

she  sent for the doctor .Although he came everyday there was no change in Johnsy 's condition.

one day the doctor took sue aside and asked her," is anything worrying Johnsy?"
     " No", replied sue.
    "but why do you ask ?"
the doctor said" Johnsy  ,it seems, has made  up her mind  that she is not going to get well.
if she does not want to live ,medicine will not help her ."
sue tried her best to make Johnsy take an interest in things around her .

she talking about close and fashions,but  Johnsy  did not respond Johnsy continued to lie still  her bed sue brought her drawings-board into Johnsy 's room and started painting. To take Johnsy's mind of her illness, she whistled while working.

       Suddenly sue heard Johnsy Whisper something .
  She  quickly rushed to the bed and head  
Johnsy counting backwards .
she was looking out of the window and was saying ,"Twelve!"sometime she whispered "eleven" then "ten" then ",nine,"eight ", seven " .
Sue anxiously looked out of the window. she saw  an old ivy Creeper climbing Half-way up the brick wall opposite their window.
in the strong wind outside ,the creeper was shedding its leaves.

          " What is it ,dear ?"so asked .
" six Whispered Johnsy.
    "they are feeling faster now.  three days ago there where almost a  hundred leaves .
there are only five  left now ."

     "it is at autumn ," said sue ,"and the leaves will fall."

      " when the last leaf falls, I will die, "             "said Johnsy  with  finality .
           "I have known this for the last three days."
" oh ,that's nonsense," replied  sue .
    
                  "What have  old  ivy leaves to do with  you are getting well?
the doctor is confined that you will get better ."
Johnsy did not say anything .sue went and brought her a bowl of soup .

   I do not want any soup Johnsy
"I am not hungry.".....
now there are only 4 leaves left I want to see the last one fall before it gets dark.

      then I will sleep forever."

     see you set on Johnsy 's bed ,kissed her and said ,
       "you are not going to die .I cannot draw the curtain for I need the light ,
       I want to  finish the painting and get some money for us .
     please my dear friend,"she  begged 
Johnsy, "promise not to look  out the window  while  I paint. "

"All right side Johnsy. "finish your painting soon for I want go to see the last leaf fall.
    I' am tired of waiting .I have to die, so let me go away peacefully like one of those poor ,tired leaves."
     " try to sleep,"said sue. "I have to paint and old miner I will call Behrman up To be my model  ."

       Sue rushed  down. Behrman  lived on the ground floor.
he was a 60 year old painter.
his life long dream was 2 Paint  a Masterpiece but that had remained a dream .
Sue poured out  her  worries  to Behrman .
she told him how Johnsy was  convinced that she would die when the last leaf fell.

"Is she stupid?" asked Behrman.
      "how can he be so foolish?"
"She is running a high temperature, "complained sue.
"She refuses to eat or drink and that worries me a lot. " 
     "I will come with you and you see Johnsy,
          Behrman  said.
      They  tiptoed  into the room.
Johnsy was sleeping. Sue drew the curtains together and they went to the next room.
she peeped out through the window.

there was only one leaf on the creeper.

it was raining heavily and an ice-cold wind was blowing.
it seemed  as though  the leaf would fall any minute now .
   Behrman did not say a word he went back to his room.
           Johnsy  woke up next morning.
               An a feeble  voice  she  asked  sue  to lraw the  curtains. sue  was nervous .
   she draw back the curtains very reluctantly.

        "Oh", sue  exclaimed as she  looked  at the  vine creeperd  "look, there is still  one  leaf  on the creeper.
it looks quite green and healthy .
   in spite of the storm and the fierce winds, it did not fall."

     "I heard the wind  last night, said JOHNSY.
     "I thought it would have fallen.
it will surely fall today. then I 'll  die."

     "you won't die ,"said sue energetically.
    "You  have to live for your friends. what would happen to me if you die?"

        Johnsy  smiled  weakly  and  closed her eyes.
      Af every  hour  or so seemed  to be clinging  to the creeper.

     In the  evening,  there  was another  storm but  the  leaf  did  not  fall.

     Johnsy  lay for  a long  time  looking  at the leaf.
      Then  she  called  out to sue.

      " I have been a bad girl. you have looked after me so lovingly and I have not cooperated with you.
I have been depressed and gloomy.
the last leaf has shown me how wicked

I have been.
I have realised that it is a sin to want to die."
Sue  hugged Johnsy then she gave her lots of hot soup and a mirror .
    Johnsy  combed her hair  and  smiled  brightly.
        In the afternoon the doctor came after examining his  patient  he told  sue ," Johnsy  now has the  will to live. I am  confident she'll recover soon.
now I must go downstairs  and  see  Behrman.
                              He is also suffering
from pneumonia .but I am afraid ,there is no hope for him."

        The next morning sue came and sat on Johnsy's bed .
    taking Johnsy's hand in hers she said ,
    "I have something to tell you .
Mr Behrman  died of pneumonia this morning he was ill for only 2 days .
the first day the janitor found him on his bed.
  His clothes and shoes were wet and he was shivering.
he had been out in that stormy night ."

      Then  they  found  a ladder  and  lantern  still  lighted  lying  near his  bed.
  There were  also  some  brushes  and  green  and  yellow  paints on the  floor  near  the  ladder.

       "Johnsy  dear, " said  sue, "look out  of the  window.

        Look  at that  ivy  leaf.

       Haven't  you wondered  why it  doesn't  flutter  when  the wind blows?
   That's Behrman 's Masterpiece.

   He painted it the night  the  last  leaf  fell."