"Why do you have those leaves in your hand?" she asked with curiosity.

Oh...On my way to school this morning, I encountered a most peculiar tree. Yes, a most peculiar tree. He had beautiful leaves...all sorts of colors, red, green, and everything in between. I reached out to touch them, and he began to talk to me. He said, 'Little girl, do you love my leaves?' And when I said yes, this is what he said...

"Little girl, I am going to die very soon, this winter. I cannot survive the immense cold, and I am ready to leave this world. Will you take a few of my leaves...to remember me by, through the winter? Then after winter passes and I am gone, you can plant a new tree in my place, and together you two can enjoy the best and worst of times."

Trembling, with tears in my eyes, I reached up as he extended a branch to me and held out a bunch of leaves, bursting with color. I looked at the tree with sad eyes, then, without another look back, ran the rest of the way to school, the leaves tightly clenched in my fist.