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...&...... ............ ; ; ............ ..........
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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. &&.......&
&&&..&&..& &..&&&&&..
.&........ ....&&&...
...&&&&&&. &&&..&..&&
.&..&&&&.. &&........
.....&&... ...&&&&&&&