Seven beats from our edition of The Last Leaf by O. Henry, shuffled. Drag them, or use the arrows, until the story runs straight. No account, no streak to lose.
This one is set for Tuesday, 15 September 2026, so you are early. Play today's instead.
::The Artist ColonySue and Johnsy share a Greenwich Village studio among other struggling young painters as a pneumonia epidemic sweeps the district.Setup
::Johnsy Falls IllJohnsy contracts pneumonia and grows so weak that the doctor doubts she has the will to recover.Inciting
::Counting LeavesJohnsy convinces herself she will die when the last leaf falls from the ivy vine outside her window.Rising
::Behrman Learns the TruthSue tells old Behrman about Johnsy’s deadly fancy, and the gruff painter scoffs yet is clearly moved.Complication
::The StormA night of driving wind and rain should strip the vine bare, yet one leaf astonishingly remains at dawn.Crisis
::Johnsy RevivesSeeing the leaf endure another full day and night, Johnsy regains her will to live and begins to recover.Turn
::Behrman’s MasterpieceSue reveals that Behrman died after painting the last leaf on the wall during the storm, his long-awaited masterpiece.Resolution
Solved. That is the shape of the story.
Each beat is labelled with its place in the arc now. The full reading, with themes, symbols and the ending explained, is in the The Last Leaf edition.