The Leaf and the Wind
from the book "Tell Me Another Story," by Lisa Suhay
Leaf looked out across the broad, dawn-pink sky and down over the beautiful
spring garden. The dewy breeze grazed it and left it shimmering, fluttering.
As it moved, Leaf saw all the corners of the garden with its flowers, bushes,
trees and animals. Leaf stretched to catch every sight and sound. It was a
new leaf at the top of a very old tree. Leaf adored all the elements - wind,
sun and rain. But it was in love with the wind.
Wind gave it the freedom of motion. Without the breeze it would never have
seen the world below or from side to side. Wind rocked Leaf to sleep and shook
it awake. Wind made Leaf dance. Wind whistled haunting tunes through the
branches, it whispered and sometimes it even sang.
On many days, Wind told Leaf of the places it had been. "All across the
Rivers and down to the sea have I been," whispered Wind. On that day, Leaf
could even smell the scent of the water and salty places of which Wind spoke.
"High up the mountain to the very door of Heaven today," Wind told, as the
fresh clean smells settled down upon Leaf. "I have seen where the Blue-sky ends
and birds cease to wing. I have heard the voice of Life itself and it is so
beautiful."
Leaf shuddered with the thought of having Life speak to it as it did to Wind.
"When will life speak to me?" Leaf asked Wind.
The breeze warmed as it blew over Leaf and Wind said softly, "You can Hear
Life's voice in me." Whenever it blew past, be it a breeze or gale, the little
green leaf waved a joyful greeting to Wind - like the hand of a happy child to
a loved one.
"I will love you for all time," Leaf whispered to the moving air around it.
"I could not be happier."
Hearing this promise Tree itself shook and emitted a deep chuckle. "I am glad
you are happy now," the tree said. "Enjoy your youth and beauty while you
can, for soon enough you will be withered and brown, dry as dust and blown away
with by the same breeze that stirs your heart today."Leaf stiffened at these
words. The other leaves said nothing. One or two fell like tears before their
time, so stricken were they by the sadness.
"That is not so!" Leaf cried.
Tree shook again and said, "Oh but it is true. I have seen many, many leaves
from many trees fall and crumble. Your time will come to curse the wind and
the way of things. Wind is old and you are young. Ask Wind sometime."
The tree said no more. Leaf tried not to think about what Tree had said. Of
course it had heard the stories of how leaves grow old and die, but still it
would never be hateful.
That very day, Leaf made a decision. It shouted to the world, "I will Never
hate Wind. I will not give in to fear or unhappiness."
Still, the next time Wind came to call, Leaf could not help but ask. "When I
become old, dry and brittle will you destroy me as Tree says," Leaf asked.
Wind was silent for a long moment. "I will not destroy you my dear one," Wind
said. "All Earthly things grow old and dry. That is not my doing."
Leaf was shaking and Wind could see the fear beginning to overtake Leaf. Wind
added, "Keep your promise not to give in to hate and sorrow and when the time
comes for you to fall, I will be there to catch you. It will be a beginning
and not and end for you."
Again Leaf felt strong. "Tell me of your travels," Leaf said. Wind spoke well
into the night.Time passed. Leaf grew and changed. At first it became very
big and strong. Then, as the air grew chill, Leaf began to take on the most
magnificent colors. First a yellow cast and then little patches of red and gold
began to creep across it.
"You are most beautiful today," whispered Wind. "I do not think that of all
the leaves in the world there is one to match you."
Leaf shook a bit, knowing full well that many of the others had also begun to
change and take on different hues. Still, the words brought joy.
"It is the beginning of the end for you and all your kind," Tree said.
"Soon now, oh so soon, you will be nothing but a speck in the dirt."
All the other leaves began to droop and some even tumbled from their homes
early as the weight of that unhappy thought dragged them down to Earth.
Not Leaf. "Words, words, words," Leaf laughed. "You cannot harm me with
words. I choose to be happy with my fate. Others choose to be sad. The only one
who will be sad when I am gone is you old tree for then who will you talk to?"
Tree shook with frustration and anger. "You will see," Tree bellowed. "You
will be dirt!" As days passed Leaf began to feel thin and tired. The bright
colors that covered Leaf darkened to brown and Leaf knew its time grew short.
Still it would not be sad because each day now Wind told Leaf of the wonderful
adventures that were to come.
Just seeing Leaf cling to happiness while all those around it fell made Tree
angry. One day it could stand it no more and when Wind came to call, Tree
shook for all it was worth and Leaf snapped away from its branch and began to
fall.
Tree watched and waited for Leaf to scream and cry, to realize what horror
had just befallen it. Instead Tree heard the sound of laughter.
One moment Leaf was held fast to Tree and the next it was falling, flipping
end over end. "I am flying!"Leaf laughed in pure joy.
"You are falling! Plunging," shouted Tree.
"I am soaring like a little bird," Leaf sang out. "See how I go!"
Leaf felt something lift it up. It was Wind come to keep its promise. "I
cannot take you far right now, just to rest on the ground. No matter what
happens, do not be afraid. I will return for you." Wind carried Leaf ever so gently to
the ground and allowed it to rest there. Leaf could feel the rumble of the
roots from Tree as it laughed and said," You see? Now you are ready to become
like all the others. It is all just as I said. Just give up now."
Leaf was not stirred to sadness by Tree's words. It did not answer, but lay
quietly looking up at the world. It all looked so different now. After a time,
Leaf nodded off to sleep and a long time passed before it woke.
Instead of feeling old, stiff and papery, Leaf felt suddenly free to move
about. It could hear wind singing softly through the trees and felt itself
being lifted and spun higher and higher.
"Did I not promise all would be well," crooned Wind. "You have become the
dust of the Earth, so light and so fine that I can carry you anywhere with me."
And so Wind did carry the dust of Leaf and scattered it over fields, onto the
backs of birds that flew to mountains and into streams that led to oceans.
Finally Wind seeded the clouds with the last few tiny grains that were once
Leaf and Leaf came back to Earth with rains and snows.
Everywhere it fell the remains of Leaf brought a grain of pure joy, a drop Of
hope and touch of love for wind and life.
One day in springtime Wind rustled past Tree and heard Tree telling all the
young leaves about the Leaf that had loved the Wind and perished in the dirt.
Wind came back through Tree singing a breezy tune, "Listen my children, but
not to those who tell you that your fate is in the dirt. Listen to me instead.
I will tell the tale of how you will become Heaven's Dust. Believe and you
will never dread."
If ever you wonder which leaves listen to Wind and not Tree, look up on a
stormy day and see, which ones wave, a joyous greeting and which fall down in
sorrow.
