Dibs in Search of Self: The Renowned, Deeply Moving Story of an Emotionally Lost Child Who Found His Way Back

At his next session, Dibs plays with a set of miniature objects that make up a town. He places a church in the center and several houses around it. Next, he places the trees, and comments on how lonely and sad they are as they watch the wind pass by them, hoping to tag along. Dibs tells Dr. Axline about an oak tree that grew outside his window, close enough for him to touch, and how his father ordered it to be cut. The family’s gardener at the time, Jake, became a source of comfort for Dibs, as he would always tell Dibs stories and teach him things he knew about the world. Touched by Dibs’s affection for the oak tree, Jake invented a story about a leaf that traveled the world on the wind and came back because it missed Dibs. Dibs kept said leaf, along with the end of the branch that Jake cut. Jake doesn’t come anymore, and Dibs expresses how he misses his friend.

Dibs gets the measles and misses a week with Dr. Axline, but comes back after having gotten over the contagious period. He plays happily, singing about all the happiness in the world, the birds, and the sky.