“I see!” said Riya, clapping her hands. “Autumn is a leaf party!”
That night, Riya hung her drawing on the wall. And every time she saw the falling yellow leaves, she smiled and whispered, “I love autumn.”
Riya’s drawing won the first prize. But the best part was not the prize. It was the happy feeling of knowing that autumn is not sad because leaves fall. It is beautiful because the trees paint themselves one last time before winter.
“Wonderful, Riya! You have captured the true spirit of autumn,” she said.
After school, she asked her mother, “Mamma, what does autumn look like?”
Her mother smiled and took her to the park. “Look around, Riya. Autumn is the season when trees get ready to sleep. They drop their leaves like we take off our warm coats.”
Riya looked up. The big green tree in the park was now wearing a golden-yellow dress. Some leaves were orange, and some were as red as apples. A cool breeze blew, and the leaves swirled down like tiny dancing fairies.