Guided Reading
Read the story in short parts. After each part, answer a question to check your understanding.
Part 1: Two Artists and Their Life
| Sue and Johnsy were two young artists.
They lived together in a small apartment in Greenwich Village, New York. Their studio was on the top floor of an old brick building. Sue was from Maine, and Johnsy was from California. They became friends because they both loved art. |
Part 2: Johnsy Gets Sick
| One winter, Johnsy became very sick. The doctor said she had pneumonia.
She stayed in bed all day and felt very weak. She did not want to eat or talk much. Sue stayed with her and took care of her. |
Part 3: Bad News from the Doctor
| One morning, the doctor spoke to Sue in the hallway.
He said Johnsy had only a small chance to get better. He explained that she did not want to live anymore. If Johnsy did not change her mind, the medicine would not help. |
Part 4: The Leaves and Johnsy’s Idea
| Sue was very worried. She tried to be cheerful.
While she was drawing, she heard Johnsy counting. Johnsy was looking out the window at an ivy vine. The leaves were falling in the autumn. Johnsy said, “When the last leaf falls, I will die too.” |
Part 5: Sue’s Fear and Behrman
| Sue told Johnsy that her idea was not true, but Johnsy did not listen.
That night, it rained and the wind was strong. Sue was afraid all the leaves would fall. In the building lived an old painter named Behrman. He was poor and often talked about painting a masterpiece. |
Part 6: The Last Leaf
| Sue told Behrman about Johnsy.
That night, during the storm, Behrman went outside. The next morning, the last leaf was still on the vine. It looked green and strong and did not move in the wind. |
Part 7: The Truth and the Masterpiece
| Johnsy saw the leaf and decided she wanted to live.
She got better. Later, Sue told her that Behrman had died of pneumonia. He painted the leaf on the wall that night. It never fell because it was not real. It was his masterpiece. |