~~~~                             
                          ~,,    ,,~                          
                        *,          ,*                        
##$**,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,, *            * ,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,**$##
##@##%*~,,              *,          ,*              ,,~*%##@##
##@##%*~,,                ~,,    ,,~                ,,~*%##@##
####$%*~,,                   ~~~~                   ,,~*%$####
#$$$$%*~,,                                          ,,~*%$$$$#
@##$$%*~,, 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 ,,,~~*%$$#
####$%*~,, Falls Asleep As Soon As  He  Returns. We ,,~*%$####
@##%%%*~,, Are Left  To Care For Us  And  The House ,,~*%%%##@
#%*~,,,,,, And The  Orchard.  But It Is Hard And We ,,,,,,~*%#
#@##$%*~,, Are   Distracted.   We   Are   Not    As ,,~*%$##@#
#@##$%*~,, Persistent  As  Father And Quickly  Fall ,,~*%$##@#
@@##$%*~,,           Behind In Our Duties.          ,,~*%$##@@
##$%~~,,,,                                          ,,,,~~%$##
##$$%~,,,,                                          ,,,,~%$$##
@#$$$%*~,,                                          ,,~*%$$$#@
##$%~~~,,,                                          ,,,~~~%$##
@@##$%*~,,                                          ,,~*%$##@@