In a small street in New York City, two young women live in a little apartment. Their names are Sue and Johnsy. Sue comes from Maine, and Johnsy comes from California. They are friends, and they both want to be artists.
The story was rewritten by the ‘News in Easy English’ website for English learners.
They paint pictures and sell them to magazines. Sometimes they make a little money, but sometimes they do not sell anything. Still, they stay happy and dream about becoming famous artists.
One day in November, Johnsy gets sick. The doctor comes and looks at her. He says, “She has pneumonia. She is very weak.”
Sue asks, “Will she get well?”
The doctor shakes his head. “Only if she wants to live. She must have hope.”
After the doctor leaves, Sue goes to Johnsy’s room. Johnsy lies in bed. She does not speak much. She only looks out the window.
“What do you see?” Sue asks.
“I see the wall of the building next to us,” Johnsy says. “And I see an old ivy vine. Its leaves fall every day.”
Sue looks out. Yes, she sees the vine. The wind blows, and leaves fall one by one.
Johnsy says, “When the last leaf falls, I die.”
“No!” Sue says. “That is silly. Leaves fall in autumn. But you get better.”
Johnsy shakes her head. “No. When the last leaf goes, I go, too.”
Sue feels sad. She does not know what to do. She wants to help her friend. So she goes downstairs to see their neighbor, Mr. Behrman.
Mr. Behrman is an old man. He lives in the room below. He is also an artist, but he never paints his “great” picture. He talks about it, but he never starts.
Sue tells Mr. Behrman, “Johnsy is very sick. She thinks she dies when the last leaf falls.”
Mr. Behrman gets angry. “That is not right! Why does she think like that?”
“She is weak,” Sue says, “and she needs help. I want you to help me.”
Mr. Behrman says, “Yes, I help.”
That night, the wind blows hard. It rains and snows. The next morning, Johnsy wakes up. She looks out the window.
Sue waits. Then Johnsy says, “There is still one leaf. It does not fall.”
Sue looks too. Yes, there is one leaf on the vine. It is green and strong. It hangs there.
“All the others are gone,” Johnsy says, “but this one stays. Maybe I can live too.”
Sue smiles. “Yes, you can.”
The next day, the leaf still stays. It does not move, even in the strong wind. Johnsy feels better. She eats, she drinks, and she wants to live.
The doctor comes and smiles. “She is better now.”
Later, Sue hears sad news. Mr. Behrman gets very sick. He has pneumonia. He goes to the hospital, but he dies two days later.
The janitor finds something in his room: a ladder, a lamp, and a canvas. He also finds green and yellow paint.
Then Sue understands. Mr. Behrman paints the last leaf on the wall. It is not real. It is his masterpiece.
He saves Johnsy’s life.
The original version of the story: americanliterature.com
Present Simple Questions Based on “The Last Leaf”
Where do Sue and Johnsy live?
What do Sue and Johnsy do for a living?
Why does Johnsy lie in bed?
What does the doctor say about Johnsy?
What does Johnsy see from the window?
Why does Johnsy think she will die?
Who does Sue talk to about Johnsy’s illness?
What does Mr. Behrman do during the stormy night?
Does the last leaf fall from the vine?
How does Mr. Behrman save Johnsy’s life?
Vocabulary for the Article
Live: To have your home in a place.
Example: Sue and Johnsy live in a small apartment in New York.
Friend: A person you like and trust.
Example: Sue is Johnsy’s best friend.
Paint: To make pictures with colors.
Example: They paint pictures every day.
Sell: To give something for money.
Example: They sell their pictures to magazines.
Sick: Not healthy; ill.
Example: Johnsy is very sick.
Doctor: A person who helps sick people.
Example: The doctor visits Johnsy.
Weak: Not strong.
Example: She is very weak and cannot eat.
Hope: The feeling that something good will happen.
Example: The doctor says she needs hope.
Look: To use your eyes.
Example: Johnsy looks out of the window.
Leaf: The flat green part of a plant.
Example: The leaf falls from the vine.
Fall: To go down to the ground.
Example: The leaves fall in the wind.
Die: To stop living.
Example: Johnsy thinks she will die when the leaf falls.
Shake: To move quickly from side to side.
Example: The doctor shakes his head.
Ask: To say something to get an answer.
Example: Sue asks the doctor about Johnsy.
Help: To make things easier for someone.
Example: Mr. Behrman helps Sue and Johnsy.
Stay: To not leave; to remain.
Example: The last leaf stays on the wall.
Cry: To make tears when you are sad.
Example: Sue sometimes cries in her room.
Night: The time when it is dark and people sleep.
Example: It is a cold night when the storm comes.
Snow: Soft white pieces of ice that fall from the sky.
Example: It snows in the story.
Window: A glass opening in the wall to see outside.
Example: She looks out of the window.
