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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. &&.&.&....
&&&&...&&& .&&&&&...&
...&..&... &....&..&.
..&&.&&..& &...&&.&&.
.&.&&.&.&. &..&.&&.&.
&&&.&&&&&. &.&&&.&&&.