----
-,, ,,-
:, ,:
&&&.&.&&.. ............ : : ............ ...&&.....
&.&...&&&. :, ,: ...&&&....
...&..&.&& -,, ,,- ...&.&&...
....&...&& ---- .....&&&..
.....&..&. &....&.&&.
......&... 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. &&....&...
...&&&.... .&&....&..
...&.&&... .&&&....&.
.....&&&.. .&.&&....&
&....&.&&. ...&&&....
.&.....&&& &..&.&&...