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%$:~:,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,, :            : ,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,:~:$%
$:~:,,,,,,              ::          ::              ,,,,,,:~:$
%$:~:,,,,,                ~::    ::~                ,,,,,:~:$%
#%$:~:,,,,                   ~~~~                   ,,,,:~:$%#
@#%$:~:,,,                                          ,,,:~:$%#@
#@#%$:~:,, The  River  That'S  Our  River  Makes  A ,,:~:$%#@#
##@#%$:~:, Large  Bend  Like A Scooping Hand  And A ,:~:$%#@##
#@#%$:~:,, Decent  Days   Travel  North  From  That ,,:~:$%#@#
@#%$:~:,,, Stands  Our House  In  The Middle  Of  A ,,,:~:$%#@
#%$:~:,,,, Forgotten Apple  Orchard.  Our House  Is ,,,,:~:$%#
%$:~:,,,,, Built Of Dark  Clay  And Abandoned By  A ,,,,,:~:$%
$:~:,,,,,, Stranger.  The Window  Has  No Glass But ,,,,,,:~:$
%$:~:,,,,, Instead Steel  Bars To  Keep The Animals ,,,,,:~:$%
#%$:~:,,,,                   Out.                   ,,,,:~:$%#
@#%$:~:,,,                                          ,,,:~:$%#@
#@#%$:~:,, Around  The  House  Is  A  Thick,  Thick ,,:~:$%#@#
##@#%$:~:, Brush  Of  Ferns And Bushes. There  Live ,:~:$%#@##
#@#%$:~:,, The Animals  That We Fight To Keep Away, ,,:~:$%#@#
@#%$:~:,,, For  They  Speak To  Us To  Join Them In ,,,:~:$%#@
#%$:~:,,,, The Luscious  Caves  Below Ground.  They ,,,,:~:$%#
%$:~:,,,,, Mean No Harm  But It Is Not In  Our Best ,,,,,:~:$%
$:~:,,,,,, Interest  To Do So.  There  Is Important ,,,,,,:~:$
%$:~:,,,,, Work That Needs To Be Done, And  It Cant ,,,,,:~:$%
#%$:~:,,,, Be Done By  Animals. (Father Says This.) ,,,,:~:$%#
@#%$:~:,,,                                          ,,,:~:$%#@
#@#%$:~:,, Every  Morning  Our  Father  Clears  The ,,:~:$%#@#
##@#%$:~:, Ferns And Uproots  The  Bushes Only  For ,:~:$%#@##
#@#%$:~:,, Them  To  Grow Back  Each  Night.  Their ,,:~:$%#@#
@#%$:~:,,, Leaves Are Teal,  White And Yellow, Some ,,,:~:$%#@
#%$:~:,,,, Even The Color Of Wine.  They Have Lilac ,,,,:~:$%#
%$:~:,,,,, Flowers And In The  Morning They Are Wet ,,,,,:~:$%
$:~:,,,,,,                With Dew.                 ,,,,,,:~:$
%$:~:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:~:$%
#%$:~:,,,, Father  Is  Away During  The  Day  Doing ,,,,:~:$%#
@#%$:~:,,, Important Things Elsewhere. He Is  Weary ,,,:~:$%#@
#@#%$:~:,, When  He Returns Home, Each  Day More So ,,:~:$%#@#
##@#%$:~:, Than The Next. We Learn  To Cook For Him ,:~:$%#@##
#@#%$:~:,, So That He Does  Not Have To. We Tend To ,,:~:$%#@#
@#%$:~:,,,               His Clothes.               ,,,:~:$%#@
#%$:~:,,,,                                          ,,,,:~:$%#
%$:~:,,,,, Suddenly The Dense Bushwork  Is Mirrored ,,,,,:~:$%
$:~:,,,,,, Inside.  Stems  And Leaves Appear  Close ,,,,,,:~:$
%$:~:,,,,, To The Walls  And Far From The Light. We ,,,,,:~:$%
#%$:~:,,,, Are Glad, For The Flowers  Are Beautiful ,,,,:~:$%#
@#%$:~:,,, And  Smell  Good,  And There  Is  Little ,,,:~:$%#@
#@#%$:~:,, Decoration   In  Our  House.   But  When ,,:~:$%#@#
##@#%$:~:, Father  Comes Home He Is Angry  And Cuts ,:~:$%#@##
#@#%$:~:,, Them  All  Down  In  A  Frenzy.  We  Are ,,:~:$%#@#
@#%$:~:,,,            Scared Of Him Then.           ,,,:~:$%#@
#%$:~:,,,,                                          ,,,,:~:$%#
%$:~:,,,,, We  Are  Then Tasked With  Removing  Any ,,,,,:~:$%
$:~:,,,,,, Indoor  Plant We See.  But  They  Are So ,,,,,,:~:$
%$:~:,,,,, Beautiful! We  Wait  Just  Until  Father ,,,,,:~:$%
#%$:~:,,,, Comes  Home  And  Until  Then  We  Enjoy ,,,,:~:$%#
@#%$:~:,,, Them.  Sometimes An Animal Will Sneak In ,,,:~:$%#@
#@#%$:~:,, But We Always Shoo Them  Out. With Fresh ,,:~:$%#@#
##@#%$:~:, Cut  Flowers  Thrown  Right  Outside The ,:~:$%#@##
#@#%$:~:,, House  He   Suspects   And  Resents  Our ,,:~:$%#@#
@#%$:~:,,, Inaction.  But  He   Doesn'T  Have   The ,,,:~:$%#@
#%$:~:,,,, Energy To Scold Us.  He Weakens Quickly. ,,,,:~:$%#
%$:~:,,,,, It Is Not Long Before He  Is Still Tired ,,,,,:~:$%
$:~:,,,,,, Even   In   The    Morning   And    Must ,,,,,,:~:$
%$:~:,,,,,    Reluctantly Leave The Outdoor Weed    ,,,,,:~:$%
#%$:~:,,,, Cutting To  Us As Well, Untrusting  That ,,,,:~:$%#
@#%$:~:,,,          We Will Carry It Out.           ,,,:~:$%#@
#@#%$:~:,,                                          ,,:~:$%#@#
##@#%$:~:, Now He Leaves As Soon As He'S Awake  And ,:~:$%#@##
#@#%$:~:,, Falls  Asleep As Soon As  He Returns. We ,,:~:$%#@#
@#%$:~:,,, Are  Left To Care For Us  And  The House ,,,:~:$%#@
#%$:~:,,,, And  The Orchard.  But It Is Hard And We ,,,,:~:$%#
%$:~:,,,,, Are   Distracted.    We   Are   Not   As ,,,,,:~:$%
$:~:,,,,,, Persistent  As  Father  And Quickly Fall ,,,,,,:~:$
%$:~:,,,,,           Behind In Our Duties.          ,,,,,:~:$%
#%$:~:,,,,                                          ,,,,:~:$%#
@#%$:~:,,,                                          ,,,:~:$%#@
#@#%$:~:,,                                          ,,:~:$%#@#
##@#%$:~:,                                          ,:~:$%#@##
#@#%$:~:,,                                          ,,:~:$%#@#