~~~~
~.. ..~
/. ./
...#...... ............ / / ............ ...##.....
##...##### /. ./ ##....####
#..#..#### ~.. ..~ #..##..###
.......### ~~~~ ........##
.#####..## #######...
..###....# 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. ##########
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