"Why do leaves fall?" Jonah asked.
His dad crouched down and picked one up — bright orange with a little curl at the edge.
"The tree is getting ready to sleep," said Dad. "It stops feeding the leaves and they dry up and fall. But they don't go to waste."
He pointed to the ground. A thick soft layer of brown and gold lay over everything.
"They make a blanket for the soil," said Dad. "They keep the bugs and worms warm. And over winter, they rot down and feed the tree next year."
Jonah thought about this.
He kicked through a pile of leaves. They flew up around him in a golden cloud.
"So the tree is feeding itself," Jonah said.
"Exactly," said Dad.
Jonah picked up a handful of leaves and held them up so the low autumn sun shone through.
Red. Orange. Gold. Amber.
"They're beautiful for something that's dying," he said.
Dad smiled. "Most things are."