he never stopped to rest for his noonday meal, and it was far on in the afternoon when he found himself near a large bamboo wood. bamboo groves are the favorite haunts of sparrows, and there sure enough at the edge of the wood he saw his own dear sparrow waiting to welcome him. he could hardly believe his eyes for joy, and ran forward quickly to greet her. she bowed her little head and went through a number of the tricks her master had taught her, to show her pleasure at seeing her old friend again, and, wonderful to relate, she could talk as of old. the old man told her how sorry he was for all that had happened, and inquired after her tongue, wondering how she could speak so well without it. then the sparrow opened her beak and showed him that a new tongue had grown in place of the old one, and begged him not to think any more about the past, for she was quite well now. then the old man knew that his sparrow was a fairy, and no common bird. it would be difficult to exaggerate the old man's rejoicing now. he forgot all his troubles, he forgot even how tired he was, for he had found his lost sparrow, and instead of being ill and without a tongue as he had feared and expected to find her, she was well and happy and with a new tongue, and without a sign of the ill-treatment she had received from his wife.