««««                             
                          «^^    ^^«                          
                        \^          ^\                        
.....^«\§& ............ \            \ ............ &§\«^.....
....^«\§&@              \^          ^\              @&§\«^....
...^«\§&@#                «^^    ^^«                #@&§\«^...
..^«\§&@##                   ««««                   ##@&§\«^..
.^«\§&@###                                          ###@&§\«^.
..^«\§&@## 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.           &§\«^.....
......^«\§                                          §\«^......
.......^«\                                          \«^.......
........^«                                          «^........
.........^                                          ^.........
........^«                                          «^........