Once upon a time a little leaf was heard to cry, as leaves often did when a gentle wind passed by. The twig (小枝) asked, "What's the matter, little leaf?" The leaf said, "The wind just told me that one day it will pull me off!" When the tree heard this, it swung all over and promised the leaf, "You will not go till you want to."
The sunny days of the autumn came. The little leaf saw all the leaves around becoming very beautiful. Some were yellow, some were red, and some were in both colors. The little leaf asked the tree what it meant. The tree said, "All these leaves are ready to fly away, and they have put on these beautiful colors because of joy."
The little leaf wanted to go, and grew very beautiful in thinking of it. When it was very bright in color, it saw the branches (树枝) of the tree had no color in them. The leaf asked, "Branches, why are you brown?" "We must keep our working clothes on. Your clothes are for holiday, because your tasks are over," said a branch.
Just then a little puff of wind came, took the leaf up and turned it over and over. The little leaf was like the fire in the air, and fell down silently among hundreds of other leaves. It began to dream — a dream so beautiful that perhaps it would last forever.
