The Thank-You Tree
Nora's family makes a Thank-You Tree with paper leaves. What will her little brother write?
A week before Thanksgiving, Nora's grandma brought home a bare branch and stood it in a jar.
"This is our Thank-You Tree," Grandma said. She put a stack of paper leaves on the table — red, orange, yellow and brown. "Every day, we each write one thing we are thankful for and hang it on the tree."
On the first day, Nora wrote: "I am thankful for my cat, Pepper." Dad wrote: "I am thankful for pancakes on Sunday." Mom wrote: "I am thankful for this family."
Nora's little brother Eli was only four. He couldn't write yet, so he drew a picture of a big yellow circle.
"What is it?" asked Nora.
"The sun!" said Eli. "It makes everything grow."
Day after day, the leaves filled the branch. Thankful for rain boots. Thankful for the library. Thankful for warm socks. Thankful for Grandma's apple pie.
On Thanksgiving morning, the branch was so full of paper leaves that it looked like a real autumn tree.
At dinner, the family read every leaf out loud. Some made them laugh, and some made them a little teary in a happy way.
Then Eli tugged Nora's sleeve. He handed her one more leaf. On it, he had drawn two stick people holding hands — one big and one small.
"That's you and me," he said. "I'm thankful for my sister."
Nora hugged him so tight that he squeaked. Then she hung his leaf right at the very top of the Thank-You Tree.
⭐ The End ⭐
💬 Talk about it
- What did the family write on the paper leaves?
Show answer
Things they were thankful for. - Why did Eli draw pictures instead of writing?
Show answer
He was only four and couldn't write yet. - What was Eli's last leaf about?
Show answer
He was thankful for his sister, Nora.
