content: 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 . and above all she was a fairy .
answer: a new tongue had grown in place of the old one .
question: how was the sparrow still able to speak ?
target: how was the sparrow still able to speak ?
references: how was the sparrow still able to speak ?