Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-08-05
The Leaf that WANT
ed to Stay


leaves one bright fall morning. They
whispered together as they tossed up
and down in the breeze: THE time has
come! We are going to change our
clothes! We will be red and yellow and
gorgeous for while. then the wind
and at last sink into Mother Earth"
do all the leaves turn red or yellow,
and then are they blown of and do they
sink into Mother Earth ?" asked a little
leaf: nesting close to the brown trunk
of the tree. 'sa
'Oh. MOI" answered his brothers and
sisters. Every leaf is different. Some
are red and yellow and green together.
Some keep green. others just dry up
and wither on the tree; but it's so much
nicer to change ones dress and be
bright and gorgeous, even for short
time. then be blown of gently by the
wind and go dancing up the road or
over the grass. Sometimes the children
pick up the leaves and take them home
and put them on the walls of their
rooms. but most of the leaves drift all
together and lie in heap close to
Mother Earth, where they make 1t rich
and beautiful for the flowers and grass
which come the next spring"
Il should not like that at all" The
leaf nearest the trunk of the tree shook
itself decidedly. my dress suits ms
very well as 1t u.s." He looked down at
his soft green hue. II shouldn't like to
be dragged Off by the wind and blown
through the air down to the ground.
No, I'm going to stay here" He chung
all the tighter to the bough.
But (the others looked at him sur
prised) "it's the way leaves do. You
don't want to be different do you 2"
Yes, dol" The little leaf shook IT.
self again decidedly.
Next morning. when he looked about
him he was amazed. AS his brothers
and sisters had told him, the leaves
about him were all different Some were
and green striped. They were beautiful,
he had to admit. Almost he wished he
had been changed too. Just then a sharp
guest of north wind came and q lot of
leaves went sailing away through the
air. danced over the ground, and then
lay in little heap in a small ravine
near by. es
I'D rather stay here!" The little leaf
chung closer to the bough. ss7g
The north wind blew hard and strong.
It whistled through the branches. The
leaves dropped In showers. Very strange
and bare the tree began to look to the
little leaf He began to feel lonely.
The children trooped past from
school. They stopped and picked up the
leaves from the ground.
isn't this beauty cried one. I'm
going to take 1t home to my mother,
it's so perfect"
"And look at this!" cried another.
picking up gay striped one.
The little leaf on the tree sighed No
one noticed him up there clinging to
the bough. ..,.. sEs. 1A
The cold wind tossed him about. His
brothers and sisters were gone. He was
lonely. He almost envied the other
leaves as he saw them huddled togeth-
er In a soft warm mass at the foot Of
the tree.
See that poor lone, withered leaf up
there!" cried one Of the boys. looking
up at the little leaf on the tree.
The last leaf on the tree" quoted
one Of the girls, laughing. Come down.
you poor old leaf! You must be lonely"
She shook the branch hard and the lit
tie leaf felt itself falling down, down
into the soft. warm mass at the foot OF
the tree. down among his brothers and
sisters but he was only glad now.
"Welcome!" they cried. lust as If he
were as bright and beautiful as any Of
them. --s .e-9
He nestled down snugly amone them
and forgot that he was withered and
that the children had laughed at him.
He was only glad to be with the rest
where 1t was warm and snug. He went
to sleep happily. nesting close to the
others. 49,
And where he slept there bloomed the
next spring a beautiful large blue vio-
let-the largest the bluest. the prettiest
violet to be found in all the woods