It was a tradition in Firthengart to take the first fallen leaves of a fall festival and paint them your favourite colour. It didn't matter what you painted on the leaf, but each brushstroke represented your hopes and good will, or alternatively, your pains and sadness. You'd burn the leaf afterwards in such a case and disperse the ashes, symbolically ridding oneself of the pain and wish for something dear to your heart. Otherwise, if it was a leaf of good will, you normally gave it to others as a gesture of friendship or in thanks. The little girl, for one reason or another, had wanted to give one such leaf to the human as soon as he emerged from the duelling ring, apparently having watched the spectacle with her sister. Handy, however, had no idea about any of this, and so what would normally have been a cute gesture just confused the human, who contemplated throwing the leaf away.