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~.. ..~
;. .;
###.####.# ............ ; ; ............ ####..###.
..##...### ;. .; ...#.#..##
.#.#..#..# ~.. ..~ ..####.#.#
####.##.## ~~~~ .#...#####
...##.##.. ##..#.....
..#.##.#.. 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. .##.#..###
......#... #.###.#..#
.....##..# ##..###.##
....#.#.## .#.#..##.#
...#####.# ####.#.###
..#....### ...####..#