»»»»
»^^ ^^»
*^ ^*
.^»***&@## ............ * * ............ ##@&***»^.
.^»***&@## *^ ^* ##@&***»^.
.....^***& »^^ ^^» &***^.....
.^»***&@## »»»» ##@&***»^.
...^****@# #@****^...
.^»***&@## 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. ##@&***»^.
.^»***&@## ##@&***»^.
.^»***&@## ##@&***»^.
...^»**&@# #@&**»^...
.^»*****@# #@*****»^.
.^»***&@## ##@&***»^.