»»»»
»^^ ^^»
^^ ^^
¨&¨&¨&&¨¨& ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^ ^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ &¨¨&¨&¨&&¨
&&¨&¨¨&¨&& ^^ ^^ &¨&&¨&¨¨&¨
¨&¨&¨&&¨¨& »^^ ^^» &¨¨&¨&¨&&¨
&&¨&¨¨&¨&& »»»» &¨&&¨&¨¨&¨
¨&¨&¨&&¨¨& &¨¨&¨&¨&&¨
&&¨&¨¨&¨&& 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. &¨¨&¨&¨&&¨
&&¨&¨¨&¨&& &¨&&¨&¨¨&¨
¨&¨&¨&&¨¨& &¨¨&¨&¨&&¨
&&¨&¨¨&¨&& &¨&&¨&¨¨&¨
¨&¨&¨&&¨¨& &¨¨&¨&¨&&¨
&&¨&¨¨&¨&& &¨&&¨&¨¨&¨