Chapter 1: The Leaf's Dilemma

In the heart of early autumn, beneath the gentle sun of a European park, a Persian ironwood tree stood tall. Among its branches, a distressed leaf, tinged with a yellow hue, lamented, “I can’t take this anymore; I’m just waiting to die!”

“Calm down, your shouting might make you fall,” replied a larger green leaf from above.

The anxious leaf trembled and responded, “Did you see what happened to that poor leaf from the chestnut tree? It screamed and fell right there!”

“I wasn’t shouting,” the yellowish leaf protested, growing more anxious. “I was merely voicing my concerns about our fading days. The chill in the air is unbearable, and I can't help but think about how my end will come. Will I touch the ground and perish instantly, or will I linger on, gasping my last breaths among fallen companions? Or worse, will a child pick me up and tear me into shreds, never to be whole again? What a dreadful fate!”

“Listen to our little philosopher here. We’ve enjoyed our time on this tree, and now it’s simply our turn to go. It’s the cycle of nature,” the larger leaf declared, feeling quite wise.

“Nature can be quite harsh,” the anxious leaf retorted.

“It is what it is,” concluded the larger leaf, a hint of a smirk evident in its veins.

“We are part of nature too,” added the weaker leaf.

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through, and all the leaves clung tightly to their branches to avoid being blown away. The yellowish leaf fought against the wind's force, feeling a moment of relief as it managed to hold on. But in that fleeting moment, its stem detached from the branch. As it began to drift downward, the morning sun illuminated its vibrant surface.

“No, no, no! This can’t be happening!” it cried as it fell. “I’m not ready!”

“You’ll be okay; we’re here for you,” the other leaves reassured softly.

Instead of landing on the soft bed of leaves below, the yellowish leaf found itself cradled in a child’s outstretched hand.

“Oh no! A child!” it thought in despair.

“What a lovely child,” the other leaves whispered.

“Lovely? More like a threat! Kids play with leaves and ruin them! Aaaah!”

Then, to the leaf's astonishment, the child leaned closer, and it braced for impact, fearing it would be eaten. Instead, the child pressed their lips against the leaf in a gentle kiss.

“Wow! A kiss! What a stunning conclusion to my life,” the other leaves commented.

Yet, the leaf's story wasn’t over. The child continued walking, holding the leaf carefully, before placing it in the pocket of a blue coat. The leaf sighed with relief, thinking, “This isn’t too bad after all.”

Time passed, and the leaf wondered if this dark pocket would be its final resting place. “Perhaps this wouldn’t be so terrible; I am quite tired.”

Before long, a hand reached into the pocket, pulling the leaf back out. The child placed it on a desk, facing up, so the leaf could only see the ceiling.

“What is happening? I know this won't end well!” it panicked, realizing it was about to be torn apart.

The child picked up a sharp pencil, and as it approached, the leaf cried out for help, “Plants on the window sill, I’m your cousin! Save me!”

But the plants ignored its pleas, not recognizing the leaf as kin.

The pencil touched the leaf, but instead of destruction, it traced the outline on a piece of paper. The leaf couldn’t believe its luck: “Wow, I survived again! But what is this child doing with me?”

The child turned the leaf to face the paper, exclaiming, “Look, it’s you!”

There, in a perfect outline, the leaf saw itself. “I never noticed my left side was slightly larger than the right. So this is me.”

The child then began to fill in the details, coloring the leaf in vibrant shades of yellow, pink, and delicate greens around the veins. “She chose such a lively pink,” the leaf thought, realizing for the first time its own beauty.

As the child continued to color, the leaf observed the care with which the child selected each hue. It dawned on the leaf that its colors were indeed lovely.

Once the drawing was complete, the child proudly placed the leaf beside it and smiled before leaving the room.

Now alone, the leaf stared at the ceiling, too weary to look at the drawing one last time. But it didn’t need to; the image was etched in its memory: “Look, it’s you!” the child had said. For the first time, the leaf felt recognized.

As fatigue washed over it, the leaf surrendered to a blissful state of gratitude, reflecting, “It took me so long to understand, but now I see it clearly. I see myself, the child, and the world around me. And it is beautiful.”

Chapter 2: The Anxious Leaf's Tale

In this segment, we explore the narrative of a worried leaf that learns to embrace its existence.

This video, titled "The Anxious Leaf - An American Folktale," tells the story of a leaf struggling with its identity and fears, similar to the tale above.

In the second video, "World Wide Stories for Kids - The Anxious Leaf and Apple Tree Man," the journey of the anxious leaf continues, shedding light on themes of acceptance and beauty in nature.