~~~~
~-- --~
†- -†
......@..@ ............ † † ............ .@......@@
.@@@@..... †- -† ...@@@@...
..@@..@@@@ ~-- --~ .@..@@..@@
.......@@. ~~~~ ..........
@@@@@@.... @@@@@@@@@@
@@@@@..@@. 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. .@@..@@@@@
.@@@@..... ......@@@.
..@@..@@@@ @@@@@..@..
@......@@@ @@@@.....@
..@@@@..@@ @@@..@@@..
@..@@..... @@....@..@