A Favor for Sticktight — Larry Good

The following morning, Meri finally reaches The Tree of Ticket Leaves. Three leaves on it---or are they tickets?---take her to three unbelievable adventures. In The Land of Too Shy Izzits, she meets Art or Nart. When he's feeling especially shy, he's Nart; and he's Art when he's feeling better. She meets both. I can't tell you where the second leaf takes her. But I can say that the tree sends Sylvestra to The Land of Tiny Shiny Chains while she's there. Sticktight is an apple tree with yellow apples who is especially eloquent when she meets him in The Autumnforest. Shirt sunshine, she next heard---she was now very close. Or should I say, 'shirt shunshine,' since if you wear a shirt, you don't get shined on. Of course, I don't wear a shirt. I want all the sunshine I can get. But hum, wait a minute. Suppose that a shirt could fit me? Would I wear it? I wood! Yes, I wood! Hah! Yes, I am! What am I going to do with myself?! And then the tree said something truly unexpected and devastating to the girl. You see, today is my last day to talk.