~~~~
~,, ,,~
:, ,:
#@&:~..... ............ : : ............ .....~:&@#
###@&^:~,. :, ,: .,~:^&@###
###@&^:~,. ~,, ,,~ .,~:^&@###
###@&^:~,. ~~~~ .,~:^&@###
##&^~,.... ....,~^#
@^:~...... 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. .,~:^&@###
###@&^:~,. .,~:^&@###
#&:,,,.... ....,,,:
###@&^:~,. .,~:^&@###
###@&^:~,. .,~:^&@###
#&&::~,,.. ..,,~::&