----
-^^ ^^-
;^ ^;
.&&....&.. ............ ; ; ............ .&.......&
&.&...&&.& ;^ ^; &&......&&
&&&..&.&&& -^^ ^^- .&.....&..
..&.&&&..& ---- &&....&&.&
.&&&..&.&. .&...&.&&&
&..&.&&&&& 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. .&&&&....&
.&...&.&.& &...&...&&
&&..&&&&&. &..&&..&.&
.&.&....&. &.&.&.&&&.
&&&&...&&. &&&&&&..&.
...&..&.&. .....&.&&&