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