----
--- ---
*- -*
¨--**$$$@# ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ * * ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ #@$$$**--¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-*&@ *- -* @&*-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨---*& --- --- &*---¨¨¨¨¨
¨--**$&@## ---- ##@&$**--¨
¨¨¨¨¨--**& &**--¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨--*$@@ The River That'S Our River Makes A @@$*--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-**$$& Large Bend Like A Scooping Hand And A &$$**-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨----**& 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 #@&****--¨
¨--**$&@## Falls Asleep As Soon As He Returns. We ##@&$**--¨
¨¨¨--**$&# Are Left To Care For Us And The House #&$**--¨¨¨
¨--**$&@@# And The Orchard. But It Is Hard And We #@@&$**--¨
¨--**$&@## Are Distracted. We Are Not As ##@&$**--¨
¨¨¨¨--**$@ Persistent As Father And Quickly Fall @$**--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-*$$@@ Behind In Our Duties. @@$$*-¨¨¨¨
¨--**$&&&& &&&&$**--¨
¨¨¨--****& &****--¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-***$@ @$***-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨--*& &*--¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨---*&# #&*---¨¨¨¨