In this part of the city, there weren’t enough resources to spare on them. It was hard enough providing for a family, never mind all of these children. That was why I decided two years ago to bring what I could spare from the palace kitchen each week. Most of the food would go to waste anyway. There was a surplus of fruits, vegetables, and breads stocked in the kitchen, and a lot of it went bad before it could be used. No one would miss the small baskets I snuck out.
