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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.           #@@@%†~:..
...:~†%@@@                                          @@@%†~:...
....:~†%@@                                          @@%†~:....
.....:~†%@                                          @%†~:.....
......:~†%                                          %†~:......
.......:~†                                          †~:.......