»»»»
»~~ ~~»
=~ ~=
@@@@*%=»~. ............ = = ............ .~»=%*@@@@
@*=~...... =~ ~= ......~=*@
##@@*%=»~. »~~ ~~» .~»=%*@@##
##@@*%=»~. »»»» .~»=%*@@##
#@@@*%=»~. .~»=%*@@@#
###@*%=»~. 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. .~»=%%%%*@
@**=»»~~~. .~~~»»=**@
##@@*%=»~. .~»=%*@@##
@%»~...... ......~»%@
@*%=~..... .....~=%*@
#@@@*%=»~. .~»=%*@@@#