THE LITTLE LEAF 217 



The twig told it to the branch on which it grew, 

 and the branch told it to the tree. And when the 

 tree heard it, it rustled all over, and sent word back 

 to the leaf. 



"Do not be afraid, hold on tightly, and you shall 

 not go till you want to." And so the leaf stopped 

 sighing and went on rustling and singing. And 

 when the bright days of autumn came, the little 

 leaf saw all the leaves around becoming very 

 beautiful. Some were yellow and some were 

 scarlet, and some were striped with both colors. 

 Then it asked the tree what it meant. And the 

 tree said: 



"All these leaves are getting ready to fly away, 

 and they have put on these beautiful colors because 

 of joy." 



Then the little leaf began to want to go, and grew 

 very beautiful in thinking of it, and when it was 

 very gay in colors, it saw that the branches of the 

 tree had no color in them, and so the leaf said: 



"O branch, why are you lead- colored and we 

 golden?" 



"We must keep on our work clothes," said the 

 tree, "for our life is not done yet, but your clothes 

 are for a holiday, because your task is over." 



Just then a puff of wind came, and the leaf let 

 go without thinking of it, and the wind took it up 

 and turned it over and over, and then whirled it like 

 a spark of fire in the air, and let it fall gently down 



