~~~~
~,, ,,~
=, ,=
#&$~...... ............ = = ............ ......~$
##$=~..... =, ,= .....~=$##
###&$$=~,. ~,, ,,~ .,~=$$##
####&$=~,. ~~~~ .,~=$###
&&$=~,.... ....,~=$&&
###&$$=~,. The River That'S Our River Makes A .,~=$$##
##&$$$=~,. Large Bend Like A Scooping Hand And A .,~=$$$#
###&$$=~,. Decent Days Travel North From That .,~=$$##
###&$$=~,. Stands Our House In The Middle Of A .,~=$$##
#$$$~,,,.. Forgotten Apple Orchard. Our House Is ..,,,~$$$#
####$$=~,. Built Of Dark Clay And Abandoned By A .,~=$$####
#&$$=,.... Stranger. The Window Has No Glass But ....,=$$
###&$$=~,. Instead Steel Bars To Keep The Animals .,~=$$##
###&$$=~,. Out. .,~=$$##
###&$$=~,. .,~=$$##
#&$$=,.... Around The House Is A Thick, Thick ....,=$$
#&&$=,.... Brush Of Ferns And Bushes. There Live ....,=$&
#&&$~..... The Animals That We Fight To Keep Away, .....~$&
#&&&$$=~,. For They Speak To Us To Join Them In .,~=$$&&
&&&$=,,,.. The Luscious Caves Below Ground. They ..,,,=$&&&
####&$$=~, Mean No Harm But It Is Not In Our Best ,~=$$###
#&&$$$=~,. Interest To Do So. There Is Important .,~=$$$&
&$$~...... Work That Needs To Be Done, And It Cant ......~$$&
###&$$=~,. Be Done By Animals. (Father Says This.) .,~=$$##
&&$==~.... ....~==$&&
###&$$=~,. Every Morning Our Father Clears The .,~=$$##
####&$$~,. Ferns And Uproots The Bushes Only For .,~$$###
###&$$=~,. Them To Grow Back Each Night. Their .,~=$$##
&$~~,,.... Leaves Are Teal, White And Yellow, Some ....,,~~$&
&$~,,..... Even The Color Of Wine. They Have Lilac .....,,~$&
###&$$=~,. Flowers And In The Morning They Are Wet .,~=$$##
#$=~...... With Dew. ......~=$#
#$$$=,.... ....,=$$$#
###&$$=~,. Father Is Away During The Day Doing .,~=$$##
#&&&$$=~,. Important Things Elsewhere. He Is Weary .,~=$$&&
####$$=~,. When He Returns Home, Each Day More So .,~=$$####
&&&$~~,,.. Than The Next. We Learn To Cook For Him ..,,~~$&&&
&$=~,..... So That He Does Not Have To. We Tend To .....,~=$&
####$$=~,. His Clothes. .,~=$$####
&$==,,,... ...,,,==$&
#&$~,..... Suddenly The Dense Bushwork Is Mirrored .....,~$
#&$$$=,,.. Inside. Stems And Leaves Appear Close ..,,=$$$
#&$$$~,,.. To The Walls And Far From The Light. We ..,,~$$$
#&$~~,,... Are Glad, For The Flowers Are Beautiful ...,,~~$
#&&$===~,. And Smell Good, And There Is Little .,~===$&
####$$=~,. Decoration In Our House. But When .,~=$$####
&$$=,,,,,. Father Comes Home He Is Angry And Cuts .,,,,,=$$&
###&$$=~,. Them All Down In A Frenzy. We Are .,~=$$##
####$$=~,. Scared Of Him Then. .,~=$$####
&&$==~.... ....~==$&&
&$~....... We Are Then Tasked With Removing Any .......~$&
#$$$$$=~,. Indoor Plant We See. But They Are So .,~=$$$$$#
##&$$==~,. Beautiful! We Wait Just Until Father .,~==$$#
###&$$=~,. Comes Home And Until Then We Enjoy .,~=$$##
&&$=,..... Them. Sometimes An Animal Will Sneak In .....,=$&&
&&&$===~,. But We Always Shoo Them Out. With Fresh .,~===$&&&
###&$$=~,. Cut Flowers Thrown Right Outside The .,~=$$##
###&$$=~,. House He Suspects And Resents Our .,~=$$##
##$$==,... Inaction. But He Doesn'T Have The ...,==$$##
###&$$=~,. Energy To Scold Us. He Weakens Quickly. .,~=$$##
###&$$=~,. It Is Not Long Before He Is Still Tired .,~=$$##
####&$=~,. Even In The Morning And Must .,~=$###
###&$$=~,. Reluctantly Leave The Outdoor Weed .,~=$$##
#$$=,,,... Cutting To Us As Well, Untrusting That ...,,,=$$#
###&$$=~,. We Will Carry It Out. .,~=$$##
###&$$=~,. .,~=$$##
##$$$$=~,. Now He Leaves As Soon As He'S Awake And .,~=$$$$##
###&$$=~,. Falls Asleep As Soon As He Returns. We .,~=$$##
&$$~...... Are Left To Care For Us And The House ......~$$&
###&$$=~,. And The Orchard. But It Is Hard And We .,~=$$##
#&&&$$=~,. Are Distracted. We Are Not As .,~=$$&&
#&&$=,,,.. Persistent As Father And Quickly Fall ..,,,=$&
#&$$===~,. Behind In Our Duties. .,~===$$
###&$$=~,. .,~=$$##
##$$$$=~,. .,~=$$$$##
&$=,,,.... ....,,,=$&
###&$$=~,. .,~=$$##
#&$$=,,... ...,,=$$