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.”

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.”

“Wonderful, Riya! You have captured the true spirit of autumn,” she said.

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.

“I see!” said Riya, clapping her hands. “Autumn is a leaf party!”