~~~~
~-- --~
;- -;
..@@...... ............ ; ; ............ @..@.@.@..
..@@@..... ;- -; .@......@.
..@.@@.... ~-- --~ ..@......@
@...@@@... ~~~~ ...@......
.@..@.@@.. ....@.....
..@...@@@. 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. ...@......
.@......@. @...@.....
..@......@ .@...@....
...@...... ..@...@...
....@..... ...@...@..
.....@.... ....@...@.