Mr. Sparrow 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 shall 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 lane. 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. |