"The Last Leaf" is a short story written by O. Henry, a pen name for the American writer William Sydney Porter. The story was first published in 1907 and has since become a classic of American literature.
The story is set in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City during a particularly cold and bitter winter. It follows the lives of two young artists, Johnsy and Sue, who live in a small apartment together. Johnsy is gravely ill with pneumonia and is bedridden, while Sue tries to care for her and keep her spirits up.
One day, Johnsy becomes fixated on a leaf on the vine outside her window. She believes that the leaf will be the last one to fall from the vine and that when it does, she will also die. Sue, determined to keep Johnsy's spirits up, does everything she can to keep the leaf from falling, even going so far as to tie it to the vine with a string.
As the days pass, Johnsy's condition worsens and she becomes increasingly delusional, convinced that she will die when the leaf falls. One night, a severe storm hits the city and the leaf is blown off the vine. Johnsy believes that her time has come and she prepares to die.
However, the next morning, Johnsy is surprised to find the leaf still hanging on the vine, despite the storm. It is then revealed that the leaf was painted on the wall by the elderly artist Behrman, who had been living in the same building as Johnsy and Sue. Behrman had taken it upon himself to paint the leaf as a gesture of hope and love for Johnsy, knowing that it would give her something to hold onto in her darkest moments.
The story ends with Johnsy making a full recovery and Behrman, who had been suffering from a severe cold, succumbing to his illness and dying. "The Last Leaf" is a poignant tale of friendship, love, and the power of hope to overcome even the most difficult of circumstances.