»»»»                             
                          »^^    ^^»                          
                        =^          ^=                        
¨^»=*$§@@@ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ =            = ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ @@@§$*=»^¨
¨¨¨¨¨^»*§@              =^          ^=              @§*»^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^»=*$§@                »^^    ^^»                @§$*=»^¨¨¨
¨^»=*$§@##                   »»»»                   ##@§$*=»^¨
¨¨¨^^»=$§@                                          @§$=»^^¨¨¨
¨^»=*$§@@# The  River  That'S  Our  River  Makes  A #@@§$*=»^¨
¨^»=*$§@@# Large  Bend Like A  Scooping Hand  And A #@@§$*=»^¨
¨^»=*$§@@# Decent  Days  Travel   North  From  That #@@§$*=»^¨
¨^»=*$§@@@ Stands Our  House  In  The  Middle  Of A @@@§$*=»^¨
¨^»=*$§@@@ Forgotten  Apple Orchard.  Our House  Is @@@§$*=»^¨
¨^»=*$@@## Built Of Dark  Clay  And Abandoned By  A ##@@$*=»^¨
¨^»=*$§@@# Stranger. The  Window  Has No  Glass But #@@§$*=»^¨
¨¨^^==**§@ 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 ##@@§*=»^¨
¨^»=*$@@## Indoor  Plant  We See.  But They  Are So ##@@$*=»^¨
¨^»=*$§@@# Beautiful! We  Wait  Just  Until  Father #@@§$*=»^¨
¨^»=*$@@## Comes  Home  And  Until  Then  We  Enjoy ##@@$*=»^¨
¨^»=*$§@## Them. Sometimes An Animal  Will Sneak In ##@§$*=»^¨
¨^»=*$§@## But We Always Shoo Them Out.  With Fresh ##@§$*=»^¨
¨^^^»=$$§§ Cut  Flowers  Thrown Right  Outside  The §§$$=»^^^¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=$§@ House   He   Suspects  And  Resents  Our @§$=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^»=****$@ Inaction.  But  He   Doesn'T  Have   The @$****=»^¨
¨^»»=**$§@ Energy To Scold Us. He Weakens  Quickly. @§$**=»»^¨
¨^»=*$§@@# It Is Not Long Before  He Is Still Tired #@@§$*=»^¨
¨^»=*$§@@# Even   In    The   Morning    And   Must #@@§$*=»^¨
^»=*$§@@##    Reluctantly Leave The Outdoor Weed    ##@@§$*=»^
¨^»=*$§@## Cutting To  Us As Well, Untrusting  That ##@§$*=»^¨
¨^»=*$§@@#          We Will Carry It Out.           #@@§$*=»^¨
¨¨¨^==$$§§                                          §§$$==^¨¨¨
¨^»=*$$$@@ Now He Leaves As Soon As He'S  Awake And @@$$$*=»^¨
¨^»=$§@@## Falls  Asleep As Soon As  He Returns. We ##@@§$=»^¨
¨^»=*$§@@@ Are Left  To Care For  Us  And The House @@@§$*=»^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨»*$@ And  The Orchard.  But It Is Hard And We @$*»¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^»=*$§@@# Are   Distracted.   We   Are    Not   As #@@§$*=»^¨
¨^»=*$$$§@ Persistent  As  Father  And Quickly Fall @§$$$*=»^¨
¨¨¨^^=$$$§          Behind In Our Duties.           §$$$=^^¨¨¨
¨¨¨^^=$§§@                                          @§§$=^^¨¨¨
¨¨¨»»»*$@@                                          @@$*»»»¨¨¨
¨^»»===*§@                                          @§*===»»^¨
¨^»=*$@@##                                          ##@@$*=»^¨
¨^»»»==$§§                                          §§$==»»»^¨