There was once upon a time a thief , who , being out of a job , was wandering by himself up and down the seashore . As he walked he passed a man who was standing still , looking at the waves . ' I wonder , ' said the thief , addressing the stranger , ` if you have ever seen a stone swimming ? ' ` Most certainly I have , ' replied the other man , ` and , what is more , I saw the same stone jump out of the water and fly through the air . ' ` This is capital , ' replied the thief . ` You and I must go into partnership . We shall certainly make our fortunes . Let us start together for the palace of the king of the neighbouring country . When we get there , I will go into his presence alone , and will tell him the most startling thing I can invent . Then you must follow and back up my lie . ' Having agreed to do this , they set out on their travels . After several days ' journeying , they reached the town where the king 's palace was , and here they parted for a few hours , while the thief sought an interview with the king , and begged his majesty to give him a glass of beer . ` That is impossible , ' said the king , ` as this year there has been a failure of all the crops , and of the hops and the vines ; so we have neither wine nor beer in the whole kingdom . ' ` How extraordinary ! ' answered the thief . ' I have just come from a country where the crops were so fine that I saw twelve barrels of beer made out of one branch of hops . ' ' I bet you three hundred florins that is not true , ' answered the king . ` And I bet you three hundred florins it is true , ' replied the thief . Then each staked his three hundred florins , and the king said he would decide the question by sending a servant into that country to see if it was true . So the servant set out on horseback , and on the way he met a man , and he asked him whence he came .
And the man told him XXXXX he came from the self-same country to which the servant was at that moment bound .
So as at for in into that to upon while