~~~~
~^^ ^^~
\^ ^\
&..&.&&.&. ............ \ \ ............ ...&&.&...
&.&&&.&&&. \^ ^\ ..&.&&&..&
&&..&&..&. ~^^ ^^~ .&&&..&.&.
.&.&.&.&&& ~~~~ &..&.&&&&&
&&&&&&&..& &.&&&....&
......&.&. 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. &&.....&&.
&...&&.&&. .&....&.&.
&..&.&&.&& &&...&&&&&
&.&&&.&&.. .&..&.....
&&..&&.&.& &&.&&....&
.&.&.&&&&& .&&.&...&.