~~~~
~-- --~
\- -\
#...##.#.. ............ \ \ ............ #..#..##.#
#..#.###.. \- -\ #.##.#.##.
#.###..#.# ~-- --~ ##.####.##
##..#.###. ~~~~ .##...##..
.#.###..#. #.#..#.#.#
###..#.##. 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. ..##....#.
.#...####. .#.#...###
##..#...## ####..#..#
.#.##..#.# ...#.##.#.
###.#.#### ..###.###.
..####...# .#..##..##