Stories about friendship are a delight to read! They appeal to people of all age groups and depict the beauty and fragility of friendships. There are friendships which are lifelong and add deep meaning to life. They teach us many values, like the importance of hope, belief, and loyalty. The Last Leaf full story is one such story that O. Henry has beautifully written. The story is set in Greenwich during a pneumonia epidemic. It has a twist at the end, which is a bittersweet one but teaches a powerful value. Below is the Last Leaf story in English, which we’re sure is bound to keep you engaged till the end!
Origin And History Of The Last Leaf
The Last Leaf is a short moral story written by the renowned author O. Henry. This story was published in his renowned collection, The Trimmed Lamp and Other Stories, in 1907. The story was first made available in the newspaper – The New York World on 15th October 1905. Many people have adapted the story and made it their own. Many adaptations have become a part of popular culture and touched the hearts of millions. The story is a classic, and many schools use it as a part of their curriculum too.
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Story Type Of The Last Leaf
The Last Leaf is a short story which is a classic that has a surprise ending. This will keep the reader engaged as they learn about the significance of hope.
Story Characters
The characters in the story are:
- Sue
- Johnsy
- Mr Behrman
- The doctor
The Last Leaf Story For Children
In a village called Greenwich, two artist friends lived, Sue and Johnsy. During a particularly cold winter, Johnsy falls ill due to pneumonia, and she will inevitably die of the disease. Sue calls the doctor to check on Johnsy. The doctor tells Sue, “Johnsy’s condition doesn’t look good, and she has lost all the will to live.” This makes Sue very sad, and she tries her best to help her friend.
All this while, Johnsy has been looking out the window and notices an Ivy vine creeping up a wall. She says, “There are only five leaves on that Ivy vine. As soon as the last leaf falls off, I will die with it.” This declaration frustrates Sue as she tries her best to help her friend.
On the ground floor of the same apartment lives an artist in his sixties – Mr Behrman. All he talks about is being really close to producing his ‘masterpiece’. But to date, he hadn’t managed to do so.
When Sue tells Behrman about Johnsy’s thoughts, he gets angry and says, “What nonsense is this? I still haven’t created my masterpiece! We have so much work to do!
The next day, Johnsy expresses her wish to look out the window and see if the last Ivy leaf has fallen. When Sue rolls up the blind, they see the leaf is still on the vine. As days passed, there were thunderstorms and hailstorms. But the leaf was still attached to the vine. Johnsy says, “I have not been a good person as I gave up easily. Life is hard, but I will continue living just like that leaf. It has taught me many things. It has taught me to live!”
The doctor revisits Johnsy to check on her and says her condition has improved. However, he also visited Mr Behrman downstairs, who was ill due to pneumonia. Sadly Mr Behrman died shortly after that. In the end, Sue tells Johnsy, “The Ivy leaf you saw outside was not an actual leaf. It was a painting by Mr Behrman. He painted it so that you would find the will to live. That was his final masterpiece.”
That leaf was Mr Behrman’s masterpiece. In creating it, he did so in the cruel cold weather, contracted pneumonia and sadly passed away.
Story Summary
The summary of the story The Last Leaf is as follows:
The Last Leaf is the story of an old artist Behrman in Greenwich village who saves the life of his young neighbouring artist Johnsy who has been affected by pneumonia and is dying because of it. Behrman saves her by giving her the will to survive. Johnsy can see an old Ivy vine creeping up the wall through her apartment window but slowly shedding each of its leaves. Seeing this, Johnsy thinks she will die as soon as the last leaf falls. The leaves fall one day at a time, but to her surprise, the last leave stays on for many days. Looking at this, Johnsy gets the will to live, and her health quickly recovers. In the end, we know that old Behrman spent the entire night in the cold outside, creating his masterpiece – a realistic leaf painting. Sadly, Mr Behrman himself dies due to pneumonia caused by being out in the cold and wet weather.
Moral Of The Story
It is an inspiring story for people of all age groups. This story teaches us that we should never lose hope in life quickly. It also teaches us the meaning of true friendship. Behrman sacrificed his own life so his friend wouldn’t lose hope and recover from her illness. He goes out of his way to keep Johnsy’s hope alive. The story teaches us the meaning of the power of friendship and the importance of being kind and helpful.
How Can Children Apply The Moral Lesson In Their Real Life?
The central theme of the story is hope. The author O. Henry tries to highlight how important it is for one to have hope and willpower. In the story, Johnsy gets new hope when she notices that the Ivy leaf that would decide her destiny isn’t falling. In the same way, we can all learn from this short story with pictures that even a small gesture can bring hope to a person’s heart. You must teach your children the importance of being loyal and helpful in a friendship. You should also teach them not to give up no matter how many bumps they face in their life. Hope is a very powerful but fragile thing; one must never lose it.
Also Read:
The Selfish Giant Story for Children with Moral
The Elephant And The Ant Moral Story for Kids
The Story Of The Owl And The Lion with Moral for Children
