Mr. Sparrow and Mr. Fox

    Mr. Sparrow¹ and Mr. Fox
Mr. Sparrow was a little bird. He was not a nice little bird -- not at all nice; for he was always telling stories about one person to another person.
    One day, as Mr. Sparrow sat in a tree, he saw Mr. Rabbit coming through the forest. Mr. Rabbit came near to the tree, and Mr. Sparrow heard him speaking; Mr. Rabbit was saying, "I shall² do something which will make Mr. Fox so angry! Ha! Ha! Ha! He will be so angry!"Then Mr. Sparrow cried out to Mr. Rabbit, "No, you will not! For I shall go and tell Mr. Fox what you have said."Mr. Rabbit thought, "Now I do not know what to do. I do not know what I shall do, if that ugly little Mr. Sparrow tells Mr. Fox what I said."But Mr. Sparrow went away quickly and told Mr. Fox what Mr. Rabbit had said. Mr. Rabbit thought and thought; at last he said, "I know what I shall say!"In a little time Mr. Fox came running along the lane³. Mr. Rabbit called out to him, "Mr. Fox, Mr. Fox!""What?" said Mr. Fox.
    "Do not come near me," said Mr. Rabbit.
    "Why?" said Mr. Fox.
    "Because you will kill me and set my house on fire.""Why do you say that?" asked Mr. Fox.
    "Because I was told so," said Mr. Rabbit; "I was told that you said, "I shall kill Mr. Rabbit and set his house on fire. ""Who told you that?" asked Mr. Fox.
    "It was Mr. Sparrow.""It was; was it!" said Mr. Fox.
    On the next day Mr. Fox saw Mr. Sparrow in the forest. Mr. Sparrow called out to Mr. Fox.
    "What do you want?" said Mr. Fox.
    "I have something to tell you," said Mr. Sparrow.
    "You have; have you!" said Mr. Fox.
    "Yes, I have," said Mr. Sparrow.
    "Stand on my head, little Mr. Sparrow, for one of my ears is bad, and I do not hear with the other," Said Mr. Fox.
    So Mr. Sparrow jumped on to Mr. Fox's head.
    "Stand in my mouth," said Mr. Fox; 'then I shall hear you nicely."Mr. Sparrow stood in Mr. Fox's mouth. Mr. Fox shut his mouth and ate Mr. Sparrow. "Now go and tell stories about me!" said Mr. Fox.

1 sparrow   

n.麻雀，雀型鸟类

参考例句：

• The boy has got a hen sparrow.那男孩抓到一只雌雀。
• A sparrow may be small but it has all the vital organs.麻雀虽小,五脏俱全。

2 shall   

v.aux.（主要用于第一人称）将

参考例句：

• I shall always love you.我将永远爱你。
• Which club shall we join?我们要参加哪个社团？

3 lane   

n.(乡间)小路(巷)；车(跑，泳)道；航道

参考例句：

• There is a shop at the end of this lane.这条胡同的顶头有一家商店。
• The champion is running in lane five.冠军跑在第五跑道上。