Storytime
Lucie’s Maple Leaf
By Rebekah Wilson
Lucie stopped, wiggled
in anticipation, and
jumped. The resulting
crunchy sound from the
colorful spread of
leaves beneath her feet
brought an instant smile to her little face.
Grandmother’s amused laughter from
Lucie’s antics echoed through the huge,
silent maple trees as she and Lucie
continued on their morning walk.
“I like the crunchy sound all these
leaves make!” Lucie said, smiling up at
Grandmother. Lucie flung her arms wide
open to encompass the whole surrounding
area in a big outward display of her joy and
happiness.
“I like the crunchy sound too!”
Grandmother said. “I also like the fresh
crisp breeze that stings my cheeks and the
piles of dew-damp leaves that give off such
a deep earthy smell. Fall is my favorite
time of the year, Lucie! It makes me want
to ‘gather up—and snuggle in’ for the long
winter. That’s what my mother used to say
when fall arrived.”
Grandmother laughed again as Lucie
ran toward a new pile of leaves, stopped,
wiggled, and pounced on the unsuspecting
crunchy mound.
It was a beautiful, crisp, fall morning
and Grandmother was thoroughly enjoying
herself. She and Lucie were surrounded by
a forest of maple and sycamore trees,
which were right on schedule with the
season and losing bushels of dry, colorful
leaves every time a breeze tickled the trees.
Shades of red, orange, yellow, brown, and
green were everywhere. There was a thick
layer of leaves beneath their feet and piles
here and there where the wind had blown
them together.
Suddenly a strong gust of wind blew
through the branches, sending a shower of
new leaves cascading down upon their
heads. Lucie squealed in glee, her joy overflowing with this new burst of nature
falling down on them. She stood still and
watched as the leaves fell slowly, gently,
almost as if they danced to earth and then
were still.
“They are so pretty, Grandmother. It’s a
shame they can’t stay like this forever!”
Lucie said with a note of remorse creeping
into her voice as she realized it wouldn’t be
long before the beautiful colors were
covered with snow.
“That’s God’s purpose for the leaves,
Lucie—to decompose and put nutrients
back into the soil that will allow the tree to
continue to grow strong and healthy. God
has a purpose for everything, whether we
know it or not,” Grandmother said quietly.
Grandmother took Lucie’s hand and
they started walking again. “Did you know
that God made the maple trees to give us
shade and wood for making useful items
All original artwork
by LaNell Davenport©
