~~~~
~~~ ~~~
;~ ~;
#.#..#..#. ............ ; ; ............ ####.###..
###.##.##. ;~ ~; ...##..#.#
..##.##.## ~~~ ~~~ ..#.#.###.
.#.##.##.. ~~~~ .#####..#.
###.##.#.# #....#.##.
..##.####. 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. #.#..##...
.###..#... ###.#.#..#
#..#.##..# ..#####.##
#.###.#.#. .#....##..
##..###### ##...#.#.#
.#.#.....# .#..#####.