Falling Leaves

黄莉

This story happened in New York. There were many poor artists living in the old buildings in this city. Sue and Daisy were among them. Sue and Daisy got on well with each other. They liked the same kind of art， the same kind of food and the same kind of clothes. They loved each other like sisters.

Many people in the city caught pneumonia， and many of them died of it these days. Daisy caught it too. She lay in bed all day， she looked very weak. These days， she looked from time to time at the wall of the building out of the window. The doctor told Sue that Daisy would die soon if she didnt have a strong will to live. Sue decided to give her strong will to live. She told her funny stories. She tried to talk with her about new clothes in shops. She also planned to have picnics with her in the woods the next spring， etc.

One afternoon， when Sue came into Daisys room， she saw she was looking out of the window too. Her eyes were wide open and was counting. “Twelve，” said Daisy. Then she went on counting slowly， “Eleven... ten... nine... eight... seven.” Sue looked out of the window too. She found there was a wall covered with an old vine. “Six，” Daisy counted in a low voice， “Theyre falling faster and faster. During the past three days， several hundred leaves have fallen. Now only five are left. When the last leaf falls， I must go， too.” Sue tried to comfort Daisy. But Daisy still became weaker and weaker. She was waiting for the death.

It was raining again. There was only one yellow leaf at the end of the branch. Sue was very worried. She couldnt let her good friend die.

She thought of their old model. He was an artist， too. She told him about Daisys illness. He didnt believe that people would die because leaves fell down a tree. So he went to Daisys room to see her. Daisy still said that she would die with the last leaf.

The next morning， Daisy began to look for the last leaf as soon as she woke up. It was still there. Several days later， the lonely leaf was still on the branch. Daisy was finally moved by this lonely leaf. She said to Sue， “Ive learned from that leaf that its wrong to die. I want to get well and go on painting.”

Several days later， they know that the old model had died of pneumonia. The doctor said it was very surprising that the old artist was dead with his shoes on. And his shoes and clothes were all wet and as cold as ice. Nobody knew why.

But Sue knew why. She rushed out of the room and came to the vine. Yes， the last leaf was still there. It looked like a real leaf. It must be painted by the old model. When the last leaf fell， the old artist painted one there on that raining， cold night.

這个故事发生在纽约市。在这个城市的一座破旧楼房里住着许多贫穷的艺术家。苏和戴茜就是其中的两位。苏和戴茜相处得非常好，她们喜爱同一种艺术、同一种食品和同样的衣服。她们像亲姐妹一样地相处着。

这些天，这座城市的许多人感染了肺炎，并且很多死于这种疾病。戴茜也得上了。她整天躺在床上，看上去非常虚弱。这几天，她不住地看窗外一座建筑的墙。医生告诉苏，如果戴茜没有强烈的生存下去的愿望的话，她很快就会死去。苏决定为戴茜树立生存下去的愿望。她给她讲好玩的故事，跟她谈论商店里的新款衣服，还计划明年带戴茜一起到森林里去野餐等等。

一天下午，当苏走进戴茜的房间的时候，她看她又在看窗外。她的眼睛睁得大大的，她在数着什么。“十二，”戴茜说。然后她又继续慢慢地数着：“十一……十……九……八……七。”苏向外看去，发现外面是一面爬满老葡萄藤的墙。戴茜在数葡萄树上的落叶。“六，”戴茜低声地数着，“它们落得越来越快了，在过去的三天时间里，已经有好几百片叶子落了。现在只剩下五片叶子了。当最后一片叶子落下的时候，我也一定要死了。”苏试着安慰戴茜。但是戴茜还是变得越来越虚弱了。她在等死。

天又下雨了，现在树梢只剩下一片黄叶了。苏很着急，她不想让她的好朋友死去。

她想到了她们的老模特，他也是一个艺术家。她告诉他戴茜的病情。老模特不相信人会因为树叶的飘落而死去。于是他到戴茜的房间看望她。戴茜仍然说她会随最后一片落叶的飘落而离开人世。

第二天早晨，戴茜一醒来就去看那最后一片叶子，它还在那儿。这样一连好几天，那片叶子还孤零零地挂在枝头。戴茜终于被这片孤叶感动了。她对苏说：“我从那片叶子身上知道，死是错误的。我想好起来继续画画。”

几天以后，她们从医生那儿得知老模特已死于肺炎。医生说老模特死得很奇怪，临死的时候，他脚上穿着湿漉漉的鞋子，身上也穿着湿衣服，全身冰凉冰凉的。没人知道为什么。

但是苏突然明白了什么。她冲出房间，来到那棵葡萄树旁。是的，那最后一片叶子还在，它看上去像真树叶一样，它一定是老模特画上去的。当最后一片树叶落下的时候，老模特在那个寒冷的雨夜，又在那儿画上了一片。