Fall arrives and Marly is enraptured by the beautiful colors on Maple Hill. Each day she awakens and thinks, “What a lovely world!” (94). However, the fall makes Mr. Chris sad, because it means that everything is dying and winter is coming. His favorite season is spring. Marly likes going to school in the little schoolhouse, and she likes her teacher, Miss Perkinsen, whom she admires for being able to teach students in six different grades. Joe begins playing the trumpet in the school band and soon plays in the parade at the town Fair. Marly loves the Fair because everyone in town attends and there are all sorts of things to do. The Fair takes place at Joe’s school, and after the parade, he happily shows them around.

Marly makes a new friend named Margie, and the girls begin spending a lot of time together. Margie’s three older brothers teach Joe how to collect edible mushrooms, and he soon begins selling them to local restaurants. Joe also brings home many of the mushrooms, and Mother incorporates them into their meals. In October, the last of the vegetable garden dies, and Daddy replaces his gardening with hunting.