The Last Leaf

O. Henry

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.

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.

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.

Sue was very worried. She went back to the room and tried to be cheerful. She started drawing because she needed to work. While she was drawing, she heard Johnsy speaking softly. Johnsy was looking out the window. She was counting.

“Twelve,” she said. Then, “eleven… ten… nine.”

Sue looked out the window. She saw a brick wall and an old ivy vine. The vine had many leaves, but it was autumn, and the leaves were falling.

“What are you counting?” Sue asked.

“The leaves,” Johnsy answered. “When the last leaf falls, I will die too.”

Sue was shocked. She told Johnsy that this was not true. She said leaves had nothing to do with life or death. But Johnsy did not listen. She believed that her life would end when the last leaf fell. That night, it rained, and the wind was very strong. Sue was afraid that all the leaves would fall.

In the building below them lived an old painter named Behrman. He was over sixty years old. He often talked about painting a great masterpiece, but he never did. He was poor, and not very kind, but he cared about Sue and Johnsy.

Sue told Behrman about Johnsy and the leaves. At first, he was angry. He said the idea was foolish. But then he became quiet. He looked at the ivy vine outside the window.

That night, while it was raining and cold, Behrman went outside. No one saw him. The next morning, Johnsy asked Sue to open the curtain. She wanted to see the vine. Sue was afraid, but she opened it. The last leaf was still there. It was green and strong. It did not move in the wind.

Johnsy looked at it for a long time. Then she said softly, “I was wrong. Wanting to die is bad. That leaf stayed. I want to live.”

That day, Johnsy started to eat again. She smiled and talked. The doctor later said she was out of danger.

A few days later, Sue told Johnsy some sad news. Behrman had died. He got pneumonia and passed away in the hospital.

Sue showed Johnsy the ivy leaf again. She told her the truth. Behrman painted the leaf on the wall that night. He used green and yellow paint. That leaf never fell because it was not real. It was Behrman’s masterpiece.