~~~~
~-- --~
:- -:
.&&&.....& ............ : : ............ &&.&.&&..&
&&..&....& :- -: ..&&&&.&.&
..&.&&...& ~-- --~ &.&...&&&&
&.&&&.&..& ~~~~ .&&&..&...
&&&..&&&.& &&..&.&&..
&..&.&..&& 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. &.&&..&..&
.&&&..&.&& .&&.&.&&.&
&&..&.&&&. .&.&&&&.&&
..&.&&&..& .&&&...&&.
..&&&..&.& &&..&..&.&
&.&..&.&&& ..&.&&.&&&