««««                             
                          «--    --«                          
                        =-          -=                        
¨-«=§*§### ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ =            = ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ###§*§=«-¨
¨-«===§**#              =-          -=              #**§===«-¨
¨¨--=§§§§§                «--    --«                §§§§§=--¨¨
¨-«=§*§###                   ««««                   ###§*§=«-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨««§§                                          §§««¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨-«=§*§### 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.           ###§*§=«-¨
¨-«=§*§###                                          ###§*§=«-¨
¨¨¨¨-=§*§#                                          #§*§=-¨¨¨¨
¨-«=§*§§##                                          ##§§*§=«-¨
¨¨¨-«=§§§#                                          #§§§=«-¨¨¨
¨-«=§****§                                          §****§=«-¨