~~~~                             
                          ~^^    ^^~                          
                        ^^          ^^                        
§%%%~,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,, ^            ^ ,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,~%%%§
§$^^,,,,,,              ^^          ^^              ,,,,,,^^$§
§§§$%%^~^,                ~^^    ^^~                ,^~^%%$§§§
###§$%^~^,                   ~~~~                   ,^~^%$§###
###£§%^~^,                                          ,^~^%§£###
££$%%~,,,, The  River  That'S  Our  River  Makes  A ,,,,~%%$££
###£$%^~^, Large  Bend Like  A Scooping  Hand And A ,^~^%$£###
###£§$%~^, Decent  Days  Travel  North  From   That ,^~%$§£###
##£§$%^~^, Stands Our  House  In  The Middle  Of  A ,^~^%$§£##
§%~,,,,,,, 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 ,,,,,~^^%§
#§$$$%^~^,          Behind In Our Duties.           ,^~^%$$$§#
#££§$%^~^,                                          ,^~^%$§££#
##£§$%^~^,                                          ,^~^%$§£##
##£§$%^~^,                                          ,^~^%$§£##
§%^~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~^%§
££§$^~,,,,                                          ,,,,~^$§££