Once upon a time there stood an apple tree in a garden.

“That doesn't sound very unusual,” you might say.

And you would be quite right. It was an ordinary apple tree, and as autumn drew near, its leaves were turning the familiar shades of gold and amber. All except one. For one little leaf was different. It was terribly curious and longed to see the world beyond the garden fence. From spring until autumn it listened to the stories whispered by the wind as he rustled through the branches. He spoke of distant valleys, winding rivers, great forests and endless skies, and the little leaf dreamed of seeing them all for itself.

Then autumn arrived.

The gentle whispering wind became a mighty gale. He shook the old apple tree until branch after branch trembled, and one by one the leaves let go.

Our little leaf was among them.

"At last!" it cried joyfully as the wind swept it high into the air. "My adventure has begun!"

The wind danced with the leaf over gardens and orchards, across fields and sleepy villages. The little traveller drank in every wonderful sight, afraid to miss even the smallest detail. But the wind was a restless fellow. As quickly as he had become excited, he grew tired. He yawned, drifted away, and before long the little leaf fluttered gently downward.

It never reached the ground.

Instead it landed upon a lively stream, which caught it at once and hurried it away. The current whirled it over smooth stones, spun it round in sparkling eddies and swept it beneath the beak of a busy dipper searching for insects.

"Oh dear!" gasped the leaf. "This is not quite the journey I had imagined!"

At last the wild stream joined a much broader river, whose gentle current carried the little traveller peacefully along. What a marvellous world it was! Frogs rested among the reeds, bright fish darted through the clear water, little crayfish wandered across the riverbed, while dragonflies and other tiny insects danced above the glittering surface.

The leaf could scarcely believe its eyes.

"What are you doing there?" asked a large fish.

"I'm travelling to the wide world!" the leaf answered happily. "May I ask... what sort of water is this?" Several little fish burst into laughter.

"What a silly question!" The leaf was far too excited to feel embarrassed.

"Hush," said the large fish kindly. "It's not a fish at all—it's a leaf." The little fish fell silent.

"You are floating down a river," the wise fish explained. "Far ahead this river will meet an even greater one, and that mighty river will carry you all the way to the sea."

The leaf thanked him warmly, and soon the friendly fish disappeared behind it.

The river carried the little traveller past villages, through forests where deer and foxes came to drink, and even beside bustling little towns. Everywhere there were new wonders to admire. Many times the leaf wished it could stay a little longer. But the river never stopped.

After many days the current became slower and gentler. At last the leaf drifted into a quiet inlet, where it turned slowly in the still water until it finally came to rest.

"What a pity," sighed the leaf. "Has my adventure already come to an end?"

Just then a cheerful dog came splashing through the shallow water. The little leaf clung to his damp fur. When the dog reached the bank, he gave himself an enormous shake. Off flew the leaf - and there, as if he had been waiting all along, was the wind again. With a delighted laugh he caught the tiny traveller and lifted it high into the sky. Higher and higher they soared above forests, roads, villages and fields.

The wind became a storm. The little leaf, now dressed in its light golden autumn coat, weighed almost nothing at all, and the storm carried it farther than it had ever dreamed possible.

Far below, something vast began to appear. A great sheet of water stretched all the way to the horizon. The leaf had never seen anything so enormous. Strange white birds wheeled above the waves, calling loudly to one another. One of them suddenly spotted the little leaf.

"What a tasty morsel!" the bird thought. Snap! The leaf found itself held gently in a strong beak as the bird flew out across the endless water. But several other birds gave chase.

"What have you found?" one shouted. "Give it to me!" 

The first bird opened its beak to answer - and the little leaf slipped free. Down it floated through the cold air.

Below lay a bleak shore where snow covered the ground. There were no trees, only a tiny village nestled among rocky hills. A group of children were playing in the snow. One little boy noticed the strange golden leaf and picked it up. He had never seen such a thing before. Before he could wonder about it for long, his friends called him away, and absent-mindedly he tucked the leaf into the pocket of his coat.

There the little traveller rested in the warm darkness. It did not mind at all. It had grown tired after its long journey and all the marvels it had seen. Peacefully, contentedly, it drifted into its final sleep.

That evening, as the boy's mother emptied his pockets before hanging up his coat, a dry little leaf fluttered to the floor.

"My goodness," she murmured with a smile, "what treasures this boy does collect."

And so ended the wonderful journey of one very curious little leaf.