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（Freddie and his friends have experienced Spring， Summer and Fall.）
One day a very strange thing happened. The same breezes that， in the past， had made the leaves dance began to push and pull at their stems， almost as if they were angry. This caused some of the leaves to be torn from their branches and dropped to the ground. Leaves fell throughout the park. All the leaves became frightened.
“It’s what happens in Fall，” Daniel told them.“It’s time for leaves to change their home. Some people call it to die.”
“Will we all die？” Freddie asked.
“Yes，” Daniel answered. “Everything dies. No matter how big or small， how weak or strong. We first do our job. We experience the sun and the moon， the wind and the rain. We learn to dance and to laugh. And then we die.”
“I won’t die！” said Freddie with determination. “Will you， Daniel？”
“Yes，” answered Daniel， “when it’s my time.”
“When is that？”
“No one knows for sure，” Daniel responded.
Freddie noticed that other leaves continued to fall. He thought， “It must be their time.” Soon Freddie’s branch was almost bare.
“I’m afraid to die，” Freddie told Daniel. “I don’t know what’s down there.”
“We all fear what we don’t know， Freddie. It’s natural，” Daniel reassured him. “They were natural changes. Why should you be afraid of the season of death？”
“Does the tree die， too？” Freddie asked.
“Someday. But there is something stronger than the tree. It’s Life. That lasts forever and we are all part of Life.”
“Where will we go when we die？”
“No one knows for sure. That’s the great mystery！”
“Will we return in the Spring？”
“We may not， but Life will.”
“Then what’s been the reason for all of this？ Why were we here at all if we only have to fall and die？”
Daniel answered in his matter-of-fact way，“It’s been about the sun and the moon. It’s been about happy times together. It’s been about the shade and the old people and the children. It’s been about the birds and the animals， and the colors in Fall. Isn’t that enough？”
That afternoon， in the golden light of dusk， Daniel let go. He fell effortlessly.
The first snow fell the following morning. It was soft， and white， and gentle； but it was bitter cold. Freddie found himself losing his color， becoming 1）brittle. The snow weighed heavily upon him. Soon he was alone， the only leaf left on his tree.
A short time later， the wind came that took Freddie from his branch. It didn’t hurt at all. He felt himself float quietly， gently and softly downward. As he fell， he saw the whole tree for the first time. How strong and firm it was！ He was sure it would live for a long time and he knew that he had been a part of its life and it made him proud. Freddie landed on a clump of snow. It somehow felt soft and even warm. In this new position he was more comfortable than he had ever been. He closed his eyes. It was almost like falling asleep. Freddie didn’t know that Spring would follow Winter and that the snow would melt into water. He didn’t know that what appeared to be his useless dried self would join with the water and serve to make the tree stronger. Most of all， he didn’t know that there， asleep in the tree and the ground， were already plans for new leaves and new flowers， for all the wonderful new growth of the Spring.
（弗雷迪与他的伙伴们经历了春、夏和秋。）
有一天，发生了奇怪的事。以前，微风会让他们起舞，但是这一天，风儿却扯着叶梗推推拉拉，几乎像是生气了似的。结果，有些叶子从树枝上被扯掉了，掉落在地面上。整个公园都有叶子掉落。所有叶子都害怕起来。
“秋天就是这样。”丹尼尔告诉他们，“时候到了，叶子该搬家了。有些人把这叫做死。”
“我们都会死么？”弗雷迪问。
“是的。”丹尼尔说。“任何东西都会死。无论是大是小，是强是弱。我们先做完该做的事。我们感受太阳和月亮、经历风和雨。我们学会跳舞、学会欢笑。然后我们就要死了。”
“我不要死！”弗雷迪斩钉截铁地说。“你会死吗，丹尼尔？”
“嗯。”丹尼尔回答，“时候到了，我就死了。”
“那是什么时候？”弗雷迪问。
“没有人知道会在哪一天。”丹尼尔回答。
弗雷迪发现其他叶子不断在掉落。他想：“一定是他们的时候到了。”很快地，整根树枝几乎都空了。
“我害怕死去。”弗雷迪向丹尼尔说，“我不知道下面有什么。”
“面对不知道的东西，我们都会害怕，这很自然。”丹尼尔安慰着他，“这些都是自然的变化。为什么要怕死亡的季节呢？”
“我们的树也会死么？”弗雷迪问。
“总有一天树也会死的。不过还有比树更强的，那就是生命。生命永远都在，我们都是生命的一部分。”
“我们死了会到哪儿去呢？”
“没有人知道，这是个大秘密！”
“春天的时候，我们会回来吗？”
“我们可能不会再回来了，但是生命会回来。”
“那么这一切有什么意思呢？如果我们反正是要掉落、死亡，那为什么还要来这里呢？”
丹尼尔用他那一贯平静的口吻回答，“是为了太阳和月亮，是为了大家一起度过的快乐时光，是为了树荫、老人和小孩子，是为了小鸟和动物，是为了秋天的色彩，难道这些还不够吗？”
那天下午，在黄昏的金色阳光中，丹尼尔放手了。他毫无挣扎地走了。
第二天清早，下了头一场雪。雪非常柔软、洁白、轻柔，但是冷得不得了。弗雷迪发现自己的颜色正在褪去，变得干枯易碎。雪压在身上感觉好沉重。很快，他孤零零的，成了整棵树上仅存的一片叶子。
不久，一阵风把弗雷迪带离了他的树枝。一点也不痛，他感觉到自己静静地、温和地、轻轻地飘下。往下掉的时候，他第一次看到了整棵树，多么强壮、多么牢靠的树啊！他很肯定这棵树还会活很久，他也为自己曾经是它生命的一部分，感到很骄傲。
弗雷迪落在雪堆上。雪堆很柔软，甚至还很温暖。在这个新位置上他感到前所未有的舒适。他闭上眼睛，好像是睡着了一样。弗雷迪不知道，冬天过了春天会来，也不知道雪会融化成水。他不知道，自己看来干枯无用的身体，会和雪水一起，让树更强壮。最重要的是，他不知道，在大树和土地里沉睡的，是正孕育着的明年春天的新叶和新花，那是春天无比绚烂的新生机。
One day a very strange thing happened. The same breezes that， in the past， had made the leaves dance began to push and pull at their stems， almost as if they were angry. This caused some of the leaves to be torn from their branches and dropped to the ground. Leaves fell throughout the park. All the leaves became frightened.
“It’s what happens in Fall，” Daniel told them.“It’s time for leaves to change their home. Some people call it to die.”
“Will we all die？” Freddie asked.
“Yes，” Daniel answered. “Everything dies. No matter how big or small， how weak or strong. We first do our job. We experience the sun and the moon， the wind and the rain. We learn to dance and to laugh. And then we die.”
“I won’t die！” said Freddie with determination. “Will you， Daniel？”
“Yes，” answered Daniel， “when it’s my time.”
“When is that？”
“No one knows for sure，” Daniel responded.
Freddie noticed that other leaves continued to fall. He thought， “It must be their time.” Soon Freddie’s branch was almost bare.
“I’m afraid to die，” Freddie told Daniel. “I don’t know what’s down there.”
“We all fear what we don’t know， Freddie. It’s natural，” Daniel reassured him. “They were natural changes. Why should you be afraid of the season of death？”
“Does the tree die， too？” Freddie asked.
“Someday. But there is something stronger than the tree. It’s Life. That lasts forever and we are all part of Life.”
“Where will we go when we die？”
“No one knows for sure. That’s the great mystery！”
“Will we return in the Spring？”
“We may not， but Life will.”
“Then what’s been the reason for all of this？ Why were we here at all if we only have to fall and die？”
Daniel answered in his matter-of-fact way，“It’s been about the sun and the moon. It’s been about happy times together. It’s been about the shade and the old people and the children. It’s been about the birds and the animals， and the colors in Fall. Isn’t that enough？”
That afternoon， in the golden light of dusk， Daniel let go. He fell effortlessly.
The first snow fell the following morning. It was soft， and white， and gentle； but it was bitter cold. Freddie found himself losing his color， becoming 1）brittle. The snow weighed heavily upon him. Soon he was alone， the only leaf left on his tree.
A short time later， the wind came that took Freddie from his branch. It didn’t hurt at all. He felt himself float quietly， gently and softly downward. As he fell， he saw the whole tree for the first time. How strong and firm it was！ He was sure it would live for a long time and he knew that he had been a part of its life and it made him proud. Freddie landed on a clump of snow. It somehow felt soft and even warm. In this new position he was more comfortable than he had ever been. He closed his eyes. It was almost like falling asleep. Freddie didn’t know that Spring would follow Winter and that the snow would melt into water. He didn’t know that what appeared to be his useless dried self would join with the water and serve to make the tree stronger. Most of all， he didn’t know that there， asleep in the tree and the ground， were already plans for new leaves and new flowers， for all the wonderful new growth of the Spring.
（弗雷迪与他的伙伴们经历了春、夏和秋。）
有一天，发生了奇怪的事。以前，微风会让他们起舞，但是这一天，风儿却扯着叶梗推推拉拉，几乎像是生气了似的。结果，有些叶子从树枝上被扯掉了，掉落在地面上。整个公园都有叶子掉落。所有叶子都害怕起来。
“秋天就是这样。”丹尼尔告诉他们，“时候到了，叶子该搬家了。有些人把这叫做死。”
“我们都会死么？”弗雷迪问。
“是的。”丹尼尔说。“任何东西都会死。无论是大是小，是强是弱。我们先做完该做的事。我们感受太阳和月亮、经历风和雨。我们学会跳舞、学会欢笑。然后我们就要死了。”
“我不要死！”弗雷迪斩钉截铁地说。“你会死吗，丹尼尔？”
“嗯。”丹尼尔回答，“时候到了，我就死了。”
“那是什么时候？”弗雷迪问。
“没有人知道会在哪一天。”丹尼尔回答。
弗雷迪发现其他叶子不断在掉落。他想：“一定是他们的时候到了。”很快地，整根树枝几乎都空了。
“我害怕死去。”弗雷迪向丹尼尔说，“我不知道下面有什么。”
“面对不知道的东西，我们都会害怕，这很自然。”丹尼尔安慰着他，“这些都是自然的变化。为什么要怕死亡的季节呢？”
“我们的树也会死么？”弗雷迪问。
“总有一天树也会死的。不过还有比树更强的，那就是生命。生命永远都在，我们都是生命的一部分。”
“我们死了会到哪儿去呢？”
“没有人知道，这是个大秘密！”
“春天的时候，我们会回来吗？”
“我们可能不会再回来了，但是生命会回来。”
“那么这一切有什么意思呢？如果我们反正是要掉落、死亡，那为什么还要来这里呢？”
丹尼尔用他那一贯平静的口吻回答，“是为了太阳和月亮，是为了大家一起度过的快乐时光，是为了树荫、老人和小孩子，是为了小鸟和动物，是为了秋天的色彩，难道这些还不够吗？”
那天下午，在黄昏的金色阳光中，丹尼尔放手了。他毫无挣扎地走了。
第二天清早，下了头一场雪。雪非常柔软、洁白、轻柔，但是冷得不得了。弗雷迪发现自己的颜色正在褪去，变得干枯易碎。雪压在身上感觉好沉重。很快，他孤零零的，成了整棵树上仅存的一片叶子。
不久，一阵风把弗雷迪带离了他的树枝。一点也不痛，他感觉到自己静静地、温和地、轻轻地飘下。往下掉的时候，他第一次看到了整棵树，多么强壮、多么牢靠的树啊！他很肯定这棵树还会活很久，他也为自己曾经是它生命的一部分，感到很骄傲。
弗雷迪落在雪堆上。雪堆很柔软，甚至还很温暖。在这个新位置上他感到前所未有的舒适。他闭上眼睛，好像是睡着了一样。弗雷迪不知道，冬天过了春天会来，也不知道雪会融化成水。他不知道，自己看来干枯无用的身体，会和雪水一起，让树更强壮。最重要的是，他不知道，在大树和土地里沉睡的，是正孕育着的明年春天的新叶和新花，那是春天无比绚烂的新生机。