The Last Leaf

This is the final story I remember Mr Smith telling in those assemblies.

A man suddenly became very ill and was rushed to hospital.

The doctors ran test after test, but nobody could figure out what was wrong with him.

As each day passed, he became weaker and weaker.

Days turned into weeks.

Weeks turned into months.

Lying in his hospital bed, he slowly started to lose hope.

Every so often, his friend would visit to keep his spirits up.

One day, the man looked out of the hospital window and said,

"As soon as the last leaf on that tree falls... so will I."

His friend smiled.

"Don't think like that. That won't happen."

But as he walked home, those words stayed with him.

Then an idea came to him.

He remembered the tree outside the hospital stood in front of a brick wall.

So later that night, he painted a single leaf onto the wall.

Autumn arrived.

The leaves began to fall.

One by one.

Every visit, there seemed to be fewer than before.

Until one day...

There was only one left.

His friend looked out of the window and smiled.

"The leaf's still there."

The next day...

Still there.

A week later...

Still there.

The leaf never fell.

Every morning the man expected it to be gone.

Every morning...

It was still there.

Little by little, his hope returned.

Day by day.

Week by week.

He began to regain his strength.

Eventually...

He was strong enough to go home.