The Last Leaf

O. Henry

Narrator: Once, there was a town of poor painters on a high hill. In a quaint apartment, two
artists named Johnsy and Sue lived. Their friendship was as vibrant as the
paintings that adorned the walls.

Johnsy suddenly became very sick; she had come down with pneumonia,
stayed in bed, feeling very ill. Sue and Johnsy were so poor, they could barely
afford food and medicine. All they could do was try to sell some of their
paintings.

(Johnsy’s room, Johnsy lying very ill and coughing)

(Sue just got home, removes her jacket)

Sue: The wind is so cold outside. Winter is coming.

(approaches Johnsy)
How are you? Have you been coughing a lot? Have you taken your medicine?

Johnsy: (stared out the window, very weak)

(cough..cough..cough)
Sue, I cannot shake this illness. Those leaves are just like me. When the last leaf
withers and falls, I will die too.

Sue: Johnsy, don’t talk like that. I won’t let you give up. We will fight this together.

Johnsy: eight..seven..oh..one more has fallen...six. See? Only six left now. When the last
leaf falls, I will die too.
The wind must be very strong outside. Two more have just fallen.

Sue: (gently took Johnsy’s hand)

Please Johnsy, be strong. You will be alright Johnsy.

Johnsy: I am so tired of coughing all the time, and of seeing you work so hard to support
me. I want to rest, to drift away quietly like those falling leaves.. like that.

Narrator: The ivy vine, once lush and green, started shedding leaves due to the harsh
weather. Sue watched as Johnsy’s hope faded with each fallen leaf.

Sue and Johnsy had a neighbor called Mr. Behrman. He was a painter too. But
he hadn’t painted anything in a long time. Some people believed he simply had no
talent.

Behrman: Tell me Sue, how is Johnsy?

Sue: She is so ill and weak. She insists that she will die when all the leaves from the
Boston ivy outside have fallen. The doctor says she can still recover if she finds
the will to live, but all she wants to do is stare at the leaves.

Behrman: I wish we could find a way to give her strength. I know the leaves cannot hold up
against this weather. Fetch me some materials and I will paint a leaf on the wall
outside her window.

Narrator: Mr. Behrman wanted to find a way to help Johnsy but he was very poor himself
and couldn’t think of anything.

Heavy winds howled through the streets that night. The poor old man, Mr.
Behrman, embraced the rain and the wind. He was soaked in the rain, wet all
night. He did not mind the wind and the rain. What’s important for him was
Johnsy. He painted the last leaf on the wall outside Johnsy’s window.

Behrman: (cough..cough..cough, while painting in the rain)

I hope Johnsy can find her strength in this painting.. (cough..cough..cough)

Narrator: The morning came. Sue woke up with an anxious feeling. What if all the leaves
had fallen from the Boston ivy overnight? Sue was very hesitant to open the
window curtain because she knew, the last leaf had fallen, but she had to give in
to Johnsy.

They were very surprised. Sue and Johnsy were both stunned. Despite the
rainstorm and the strong winds, the last leaf was still there, holding on to its
branch.

Johnsy: (very happy)

Look at that Sue. The last leaf has survived!

Sue: You see Johnsy? It was strong and it lived through the rainstorm.

Johnsy: Sue, I will be like that leaf. I will get better. I will have the will to live now!
(both laughing and crying tears of joy.)

Narrator: The storm’s fury intensifying, but the painted leaf stood strong, refusing to give
in to the wind and rain. Johnsy’s health improved. The painted leaf became a
symbol of resilience and the power of belief.

Doctor: I am glad to see her so much improved. It seems she has found the will to live and
she will be able to recover very, very soon.

Sue: Thank you so much Doctor!

Doctor: It is Johnsy who has conquered this illness, not me.
(The doctor was about to leave, but remembered something.)
You know, your neighbor Mr. Behrman was brought to the hospital this morning.
He was found lying out in the street, drenched and half frozen. His hands were
stained with paint. He could have been painting something? The poor old man had
been lying out in the cold and rain all night.

Sue: Oh? So how is he? Please tell me..

Doctor: He did not make it. He is dead. I’m sorry.

Sue: Oh no!

Narrator: Sue looked again at the last ivy leaf, and realized that it was not moving in the
wind.

Johnsy regained her strength and Sue revealed the truth about the last leaf to her.
She was very grateful, thanking Mr. Behrman for saving her life. His last act was
a testament to true friendship. Behrman died because he wanted Johnsy to live.
The painted last leaf still remained, a reminder of the bond between the artists and
the value of hope.