~~~~
~:: ::~
\: :\
&&........ ............ \ \ ............ ......&..&
&..&&&&&&& \: :\ &&&&&.....
....&&&&&& ~:: ::~ .&&&..&&&.
&&&..&&&&& ~~~~ ..&....&..
.&....&&&& &...&&....
...&&..&&& 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. &&&&..&&&&
...&&&&..& &&&....&&.
&&..&&.... &&..&&....
.......&&. .......&&.
&&&&&&.... &&&&&&....
.&&&&..&&. .&&&&..&&.