~~~~                             
                          ~::    ::~                          
                        ^:          :^                        
#§^:...... ............ ^            ^ ............ ......:^§#
##¶#$§^~:.              ^:          :^              .:~^§$#¶##
##¶#$§^~:.                ~::    ::~                .:~^§$#¶##
#@¶#$§^~:.                   ~~~~                   .:~^§$#¶@#
#@¶#$§^~:.                                          .:~^§$#¶@#
@#§§^~:::. 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 ......~§#@
##$$§§^~:. And  The Orchard. But  It Is Hard And We .:~^§§$$##
#$^:...... Are    Distracted.   We   Are   Not   As ......:^$#
#@¶#$§^~:. Persistent  As  Father And Quickly  Fall .:~^§$#¶@#
#@¶#$§^~:.          Behind In Our Duties.           .:~^§$#¶@#
@¶#$^^::..                                          ..::^^$#¶@
@¶¶#$§^~:.                                          .:~^§$#¶¶@
#@¶#$§^~:.                                          .:~^§$#¶@#
¶¶$^~~....                                          ....~~^$¶¶
#@¶#$§^~:.                                          .:~^§$#¶@#