««««                             
                          «~~    ~~«                          
                        \~          ~\                        
,,,~«\*§@# ,,,,,,,,,,,, \            \ ,,,,,,,,,,,, #@§*\«~,,,
,,~«\*§@#@              \~          ~\              @#@§*\«~,,
,~«\*§@#@#                «~~    ~~«                #@#@§*\«~,
,,~«\*§@#@                   ««««                   @#@§*\«~,,
,,,~«\*§@#                                          #@§*\«~,,,
,,,,~«\*§@ 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.          #@#@§*\«~,
,,~«\*§@#@                                          @#@§*\«~,,
,,,~«\*§@#                                          #@§*\«~,,,
,,,,~«\*§@                                          @§*\«~,,,,
,,,,,~«\*§                                          §*\«~,,,,,
,,,,,,~«\*                                          *\«~,,,,,,