~~~~
~.. ..~
†. .†
.......... ............ † † ............ ...&&&&&..
&&&&&&&&&& †. .† &&..&&&..&
&&&&&&&&&. ~.. ..~ &....&....
.&&&&&&&.. ~~~~ ..&&...&&.
..&&&&&..& .....&....
&..&&&.... 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. ...&&&&&..
&&&&&....& &&..&&&..&
&&&&..&&.. .....&....
.&&......& &&&&...&&.
....&&&&.. &&&..&....
&&&..&&... &&.....&&&