It is autumn the wind is blowing hard and it is raining heavily all the leaves on an ivy creeper have fallen accept one why doesn't the last leaf fall ?

Sue and johnsy, two young artists shared a small flat

The flast was on the third storey of an old house

Johnsy fell very seriously ill in november she had pneumonia she would lie in her bed withouy moving , just gazing out of the window Sue, her friend , became very worried she sent for the doctor , Although he came every day there was no change in Johnsy's codition

One day the doctor took Sue aside and asked her ," Is anything worrying Johnsy?"

"No," replied Sue "but why do you ask?"

The docter said "Johnsy, it seems ,has made up her mind that she is not going to get well if she dosen't want to live ,medicines will not help her"

Sue tried her best to make Johnsy take an interest in things around her , She talked her about clothes and fasions ,but Johnsy did not respond Johnsy continued to lie still on her bed Sue brought her drawing- board into Johnsy's room and started painting to take Johnsy's mind off her illness ,she whistled while working

Suddenly Sue heard Johnsy whisper Something she quickly rushed to the bed and heard Johnsy counting backwards she was looking out of the window and was saying "Twelve!" After sometimes she wispered "eleven" tgen "ten" , then "nine", "eight" , "seven" , Sue anxiously looked out of the window she saw an old ivy creeper climbing half-way up the brick wall opposite their window, In the strong wind outside ,the creeper was shedding its leaves

"What is it, dear ?" Sue asked

"Six" whispered Johnsy "They are falling faster now three days ago there were almost a hundered leaves there are only five left now "

"It is autum ," said Sue, " and the leaves will fall"

"When the last leaf falls, I will die ," said Johnsy with finality

"I have known this for the last three days "

"Oh, that's nonsense," replied Sue " what have an old ivy leaves to do with your getting well ? The doctor is confident that you will be get better "

Johnsy did not say anything Sue went and brought ger a bowl of soup

"I don't want any soup," said Johnsy ," I am not hungry now there are only four leaves left I want to see the last one fall before it gets dark then I will sleep forever"

Sue sat on Johnsy's bed, kissed her and said ," You are not goig to die I can't draw to curtain for I need the light I want to finish the painting and get money for us please, my dear friend ," she begged Johnsy," promise not to look out of the window while I paint"

"All right ," said Johnsy, " Finish your painting soon for I want to see the last leaf fall I'm tired of waiting I have to die ,so let me go away peacefully like one of those poor ,tired leaves"

"Try tod sleep," said Sue ," I have to paint an old miner I will call Behrman up to be my model"

Sue rished down Behram lived on the ground floor

He was a sixty-year-old painter his lifelong dream was to paint a masterpiece but that had remained a dream Sue poured out her worries to Behram she told him how Johnsy was convinced that she would die when the last leaf fell

"Is she stupid ?" asked Behrman, "How can she be so foolish ?"

"She is running a high temperature ," complained Sue, "she refused to eat or drink and that worried ne a lot "

"I will come with you and see Johnsy ," Behrman said

They tiptoe into the room Johnsy was sleeping ,Sue drew the curtain together and they went to the next room she peeped out to the window there was only one leaf on the creeper it was raining heavily and an Icy -cold wind was blowing it seems as though the leaf wood fall any minute now Behrman not say a word he went back to his room

Johnsy woke up next morning in a feeble voice she asked Sue to draw the curtain Sue was nervous she drawback the curtain very reluctantly

"Oh!" Sue exclaimed as she lookes at vine creeper "look there is still one leaf on the creeper it looks quite green and healthy in spite of the storm in the fierce wind it didn't fall"

" I heard the wind last night ," said Johnsy , " I thought it would have fallen it will surely fall today then I'll die"

" You won't die," said Sue energetucally , " You have to live for your friends what would happen to me if you die?"

Johnsy smile weekly and closed her eyes after every hour or she would look out of the window and find the leaves till there its seems to be clinging to the creeper

In the evening there was another Storm but the leave did not fall johnsy lay for a long time looking at the leaf then she called out to Sue

"I have been a bad girl you have looked after me so lovingly and I have not cooperated it with you I have been depressed and gloomy the last leaf has shown me how wicked have been I have realise that it is a sin to want to die "

Sue hugged Johnsy then she gave her lots of hot soup and a mirror Johnsy combed her hair and smiled brightly

In the afternoon the doctor came after examining the patient he told Sue ," Johnsy now has the will to live I am confident She'll recover soon now I must go downstairs and see Behrman he is also suffering from pnenomonia but I am afraid there is no hope for him"

The next morning show came and sat on Johnsy's bed taking Johnsy's hand in hers she said ," I have something to tell you Mr Behrman died of phenomena this morning he was ill for only 2 days the first day the gaintet found him on his bed his clothes and shoes were wet and he was shivering he had been out in that Stormy night"

Then they found a ladder and a lantern still lighted line near his bed there were also some brushes and green and yellow Paints on the floor near the ladder " Johnsy dear " said Sue, " look out of the window look at that easily leaf haven't you wondered why it doesn't flutter when the wind blows ? That's Behrman's Masterpiece he painted it the night the last leaf fell"