Darn! I concede you're right about "dead leaves" but I'm a bit disappointed. I liked "deadlies." I had no idea what they were; I figured they were something from mythology—poison mushrooms, or poison berries maybe. I tried to look up "deadlies." I even found a book called "The Seven Deadlies"—it means seven deadly sins.

It must be one of the 3 best mondegreens I've committed. The other two were "vilesome breath" for "vows of wrath" in TRIALS, TROUBLES, TRIBULATIONS and "spinning orrery" for "spinning all around me" in THE POOREST COMPANY.