“Two Leaves” from Bambi, A Life in the They were again silent for a while.

gain silent for a while. Then the first leaf

Woods said tenderly to the other, “Don’t get yourself all upset
By: Felix Salten about it, here, you’re shivering, look.”

The leaves were falling from the big oak tree at the edge “Oh don’t bother about that,” the second answered,
of the meadow. They were falling from all the trees. One “anything makes me shiver these days. You just don’t
of the branches of the oak was much higher up than the feel properly attached to where you are, do you.”
others and it stretched a long way out over the meadow.
At its tip there sat two leaves together. “We’d better stop talking about things like that,” said
the first leaf.
“Things ain’t like they they used to be,” said one of the
leaves. “Yeah, we’d better leave it,” the other replied. “Only ...
what we going to talk about now then?”
“They ain’t,” the other answered. “There were so many
of us last night who ... we’re just about the only ones left They became silent, but after a short time resumed the
here on this branch.” subject. “Who d’you think’s going to be the first of us to
go down there, then...?”
“You never know who it’s goin’ to ‘appen to next,” said
the first. “Even when it was nice and warm and the “It won’t be for a while yet,” the first reassured him.
sunshine gave you some heat you get a storm or a “Let’s just think about how beautiful it used to be, how
cloudburst sometimes, and lots of us got torn off then, wonderfully beautiful! When the sun came out and
even them that were still young. You never know who burned us so hot it seemed we’d just swell up with all
it’s goin to ‘appen to next.” the good health it gave us. Remember? And then there
was the dew, early in the morning ... and the lime trees,
“You don’t get much sunshine these days,” the second wonderful nights ...”
leaf sighed, “and even when the sun does shine there’s
no strength to it. You’ve got to get your strength from “The nights are horrible now,” whined the second.
somewhere else.” “They never seem to come to an end.”

“Do you think it’s true,” pondered the first, “is it true “We can’t complain,” said the first leaf gently, “we’ve
that other leaves will come along and take our place lived longer than so many others.”
once we’ve gone, and then another lot, and then another
lot ...?” “Have I changed much?” the second leaf asked, shyly
but emphatically.
“Course it’s true,” whispered the second, “only, we can’t
work out how ... it’s above what we can understand, that “Not a bit,” the first assured him. “What, ‘cause I’ve
is.” gone all yellow and ugly? No, it’s gone a bit different
for me ...”
“It’d make you really sad, and all,” the first added.
They remained silent for a while. Then the first said “Oh, give over,” the second contradicted.
quietly to himself, “What do you have to go away for,
anyway?” “No, honest,” the first repeated emphatically. “It’s true,
what I’m telling you. You’re as lovely as you as you
The second asked, “What ‘appens to us after we’ve were on the very first day. Might be a few yellow stripes
fallen?” here and there, but not so’s you’d notice, but they just
make you look all the lovelier. Honest!”
“We sink down ...”
“Oh, stop it now,” said the first, and became silent
“And what is it, what’s down there?” himself. He could not talk any more because he was
upset. Now they were both silent. The hours passed. A
The first answered, “I don’t know. Some say one thing, damp wind blew cold and hostile through the tree tops.
others say something different ... nobody knows, really.”
“Oh ... now ...” said the second leaf, “... I ...” His voice
The second asked, “D’you think you feel anything, broke off. He was gently removed from his place and
d’you think you know anything about yourself when fluttered down to the earth. - Winter had come.
you’re down there?”

The first answered, “Who can say? None of them

who’ve gone down there has ever come back to tell us.”
Multiple Choice Questions c. That the leaves got more beautiful.
Direction: Choose the best answer by encircling a d. That the leaves feel insecure.
letter.
8. How was the second leaf removed from his
1. Where was the big oak tree located? place?
a. By the river bank a. The first leaf pushed him.
b. At the edge of the meadow b. Someone plucked him from the branch.
c. Near a cliff c. A damp, cold wind blew him off.
d. Beside a street d. The harsh storm blew the wind off.

2. Why are there only two leaves left? 9. The leaves discussed the following except
a. Because the other passed away. for…
b. Because they’re having a moment together. a. What will happen once they fall off.
c. Because the other leaves fell down. b. How there used to be more leaves with them.
d. Because they are old now. c. What their color is back then.
d. How the weather has changed from warmer to
3. According to the second leaf, where do they colder.
have to get their strength?
a. From the sun 10. What is the theme of the story?
b. From the tree branch a. Keep your friends close, but your enemies
c. From the other leaves closer
d. From somewhere else b. Everything, even friendship and beauty,
eventually comes to an end.
4. What happens to the leaves once they’ve fallen c. The time’s passage in life is scary.
from the tree?
a. They sink down
b. They get carried by the wind
c. They turn yellow
d. They turn brown

5. Which best describes the two leaves?

a. They are not sure what is going to happen to
them so they are confused.
b. They are excited to get torn off by the harsh
wind and they anticipate to go.
c. They already know that they will fall off soon
and they are concerned about it.
d. They are happy being the only ones by the tip.

6. What changed in their lives?

a. The nights they experience now are darker,
colder, and more miserable.
b. The sun makes them uncomfortable because it
burns them a bunch of times.
c. The morning dew gives them good health and
they would swell up from it.
d. The day is brighter and they are enjoying the
sun’s company.

7. What does the lines “What, ‘cause I’ve gpne

all yellow and ugly?” and “Might be a few
yellow stripes here and there.” imply?
a. That the leaves lost their beauty.
b. That the leaves have gone old.