Sue and Johnsy were two young artists. They lived together in a small flat. It was situated on the third storey of an old house.
Johnsy fell seriously ill in November. She had pneumonia. Sue was worried. She sent for the doctor. But the doctor told Sue that Johnsy had lost the will to live. Medicines will not help her.
Sue tried her best to make Johnsy to take interest in things around her. She talked about clothes and fashions. Sue brought her drawing-board into Johnsy’s room and started painting. She also whistled while painting.
Johnsy looked at an ivy creeper outside on the wall. It was shedding its leaves because it was autumn. Johnsy was counting backwards from twelve onwards. Sue asked what it was all about. Johnsy told her that she would die with the falling of the last leaf. It would happen in three days. Sue called it nonsense. She also told her that she would be all right soon. But it had no effect on Johnsy.
Behrman was an old painter. He lived on the ground floor. He was sixty-years old. He had a dream that one day he would paint a masterpiece. But he had no success so far. Sue told Behrman about Johnsy’s strange fancy. Both he and Sue went to Johnsy’s room. Johnsy was sleeping. They saw that the ivy creeper had only one leaf left on it. It was raining. It seemed that the last leaf would fall any time.
Johnsy awoke from her sleep. She looked out of the window. She looked at the last leaf. She asked Sue to look at it. It was green and healthy. Johnsy looked at the leaf every hour. But it didn’t fall even in the stormy evening. This revived a will to live in Johnsy.
Johnsy accused herself. She called Sue. She admitted before her that she had been a bad girl. She told Sue that she was very wicked. The last leaf had shown her that. Now she felt that it was a sin to want to die. She then asked for a mirror. She had lots of hot soup also.
Next morning Sue told Johnsy about Behrman. Behrman was ill for only two days. The guard found him on his bed. His clothes and shoes were wet. He was shivering in the stormy night. Hfe had painted the last leaf on the wall in that night. He had caught pneumonia and died. Sue asked her if she hadn’t wondered why the leaf had not fluttered. She told her that the last leaf was Behrman’s masterpiece. He painted it the night the last leaf fell.
Think about it
(Page 48)
Question 1.
What is Johnsy’s illness? What can cure her, the medicine or the willingness to live?
Answer:
Johnsy, a young artist, was ill. She was suffering from pneumonia. But later on she suffered from a misconception that she would die as soon as the last leaf on the creeper would fall down. The medicine had no effect on her. Her willingness to live could cure her.
Question 2.
Do you think the feeling of depression Johnsy has is common among teenagers?
Answer:
Life has two aspects i.e. positive and negative. It depends upon us how we take it. Nowadays it is very common that teenagers are getting depressed because of cut-throat competition. On the other hand, a majority of teenagers who take life positively and faces difficulties boldly never lose hope and proceed further.
Question 3.
Behrman has a dream. What is it? Does it come true?
Answer:
Behrman had a dream to paint a masterpiece in his life. He kept waiting for the opportunity to give it a practical shape. Yes, he could materialize his dream when he painted the last leaf of the ivy creeper.
Question 4.
What is Behrman’s masterpiece? What makes Sue say so?
Answer:
Behrman was a 60-year old artist who had a dream to paint a masterpiece. His painting of an ivy leaf was his masterpiece which saved the life of Johnsy. It was such a painting that it was not easy to make out whether the leaf was real or it was just a painting. When Behrman died painting this life-saving painting, Sue called it a masterpiece.
Talk about it
(Page 48)
Question 1.
Have you ever felt depressed and dejected? How did you overcome such feelings? Share your experience with your classmates.
Answer:
Our life is full of troubles. To move ahead we have to face the troubles boldly. Sometimes because of troublesome conditions we get depressed and dejected. We lose interest in the world around us. Pessimism surrounds us. In this state of mind, we should try to think positively and get rid of this condition. Our faithful friends can also be helpful in this regard. I felt depressed and dejected when I could not score good marks in the final examination of Class VI. I was a meritorious student. I was sure that I would get the highest marks in the class. Unfortunately, a month before the final exam, I suffered from severe typhoid. It continued for 15 days. I became weak and could not prepare properly for the exam. As a result, I got the lowest marks in the class. But my parents and teachers consoled me by telling that it happens with everyone. They said me to be confident and be prepared to do best in the next class.
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