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Sparky the Sparrow
Sparky
Sparky the sparrow sprinted across the sprouting green grass of Mrs Spring's spectacularly special garden.
Sparky (whose real name was Grant) had got his nickname because he had an unfortunate habit of spiralling down on to electricity pylons and giving off a shower of....well....sparks you see.
However, at this moment in time, Sparky's thoughts were elsewhere. Behind him, at a crisp trot, came not one, not two but three spritely squirrels. These three, named, Cuspard, Huspert and Horace (?), were sprouting horns of rage at Sparky. They had been quietly minding their own business at the bottom of the pylons in Springfield Way, just passing the time of day so to speak, when Sparky had spiralled down, bounced off the wires and landed, in a spangle of sparks, right on top of them.
Having brushed themselves down, and put out the burning bits, they sprang to their feet and gave chase. Sparky, of course, was unable to fly away - it always took him an hour or so to recover from being sparked and was sprinting along just in front of them.
Round and round the spectacular special garden they ran, Cuspard close on Sparky's heels, with Huspert not far behind. Horace...well Horace was not that speedy, not since his sparring match three weeks ago with a spiky horse-chestnut, ending in a knockout (and several painful prickly bits) in Round 4.
By this time both Huspert and Cuspard were, shall we say, speaking rather loudly, and Sparky was, to be frank, screaming. Horace was puffing.
Mrs Spring sprang out of the door to see what all the noise was about. At first all she could see was the sporting race between the two squirrels and the sparrow and she was just about to splash them with a bucket of cold water from the water butt when she noticed the somewhat spongey shape of Horace lisping (yes I do mean "lisping", not "limping", as his prickly bits made a very creepy "sssssthsth" noise as they brushed the spikes of grass) across the lawn.
"Aha" she cried "That's fair sport"
She reached for the spout of her boiling kettle, sped onto the grass lifting her knees high, and sprinkled poor Horace with the steaming water.
Oh how Horace spun, he spun and he spun and he spun, until he fell into a spouting heap on the ground.
Sparky, Huspert and Cuspard looked on in horror as Horace sizzled and spat gently where he lay. They looked up at Mrs Spring and spotted the look on her face..........
Did they stay to see how Horace was? Or did they scramble away as fast as their legs could take them?
The only clue I can give is that at twenty-three minutes past midnight on a moonless night a little spurt of steam spouts up from the spectacularly special garden of Mrs Spring, just on the spot where poor prickly Horace had lain.
1. What was Sparky's real name?
2. Where were the pylons to be found?
3. Why was Horace not very speedy?
4. What was Mrs Spring about to do to Sparky, Huspert and Cuspard when she noticed Horace?
5. The story says that Horace was "lisping" across the grass, can you think of two other words to describe how he moved?
