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