Leo the Little Leaf's Big Adventure

The branch swayed one last time. And Leo let go. He was a little maple leaf, bright as a summer sunset. All his life he had held on tight. But now, the wind was whispering his name. It was the same gentle breath of wind that helped our friend Crystal the snowflake find her way down not so long ago. Now, it was Leo’s turn for an adventure. He tumbled and spun, a tiny splash of red against the big blue sky. Oh, what a feeling! The world was so much bigger than his branch.

He floated over a carpet of green moss. It looked as soft as a velvet blanket. He saw his brothers and sisters dancing on the wind with him. Some were yellow, some were orange, and some were a deep, rich brown. Together, they painted the air with color. A little squirrel with a big, bushy tail scampered up a tree trunk. It stopped, twitched its nose, and chattered at Leo as if to say, "Have a wonderful journey!" Leo dipped and swirled in reply.

The air smelled crisp and sweet, like apples and damp earth. He drifted lower, just above a patch of clover. A tiny field mouse with eyes like shiny black beads peeked out from under a toadstool. The mouse wiggled its whiskers, watching the little red leaf sail by. Leo felt a happy little flutter. He wasn't alone on his adventure. The whole forest was watching. The whole forest was wishing him well. But where was the wind taking him? The sun began to dip lower, painting the clouds in shades of pink and gold.

The wind, which had been so playful, began to grow softer. Its boisterous song became a quiet lullaby. Instead of tumbling, Leo found himself gliding. He was floating in a slow, gentle spiral, downward, downward, downward. It wasn't a fall. Oh no. It felt more like being carried. It felt like being gently placed. Each circle was slower than the last. He saw the world getting closer. The mossy ground, the sleeping roots, the little pebbles nestled in the dirt.

He wasn't afraid. He felt… ready. The journey wasn't about being lost in the big, wide world. It was about being brought EXACTLY where he needed to be. He landed with the softest little rustle you can imagine. Not on hard ground. But in a deep, cozy pile of other leaves. Reds and yellows and oranges and browns. They whispered a welcome as he settled in among them. He was no longer a single leaf, flying alone. He was part of a warm, snuggly quilt for the forest floor.

He could feel the tiny seeds sleeping underneath, safe and sound. He and his new friends would keep them warm all winter long. His great adventure in the sky was over. But a new, quiet adventure was just beginning. Curled up with all the other leaves, Leo felt cozier than he had ever felt on his branch. He closed his little leaf-eyes. And he drifted off to sleep.