They became fast friends , and told each other about their homes and their children , and how to teach them all they ought to know . By and bye the monkey became rather discontented with his green house in a grove of palms beyond the town , and longed to see the strange things under the sea which he had heard of from the shark . The shark perceived this very clearly , and described greater marvels , and the monkey as he listened grew more and more gloomy . Matters were in this state when one day the shark said : ' I really hardly know how to thank you for all your kindness to me during these weeks . Here I have nothing of my own to offer you , but if you would only consent to come home with me , how gladly would I give you anything that might happen to take your fancy . ' ' I should like nothing better , ' cried the monkey , his teeth chattering , as they always did when he was pleased . ` But how could I get there ? Not by water . Ugh ! It makes me ill to think of it ! ' ` Oh ! do n't let that trouble you , ' replied the shark , ` you have only to sit on my back and I will undertake that not a drop of water shall touch you . ' So it was arranged , and directly after breakfast next morning the shark swam close up under the tree and the monkey dropped neatly on his back , without even a splash . After a few minutes -- for at first he felt a little frightened at his strange position -- the monkey began to enjoy himself vastly , and asked the shark a thousand questions about the fish and the sea-weeds and the oddly-shaped things that floated past them , and as the shark always gave him some sort of answer , the monkey never guessed that many of the objects they saw were as new to his guide as to himself . The sun had risen and set six times when the shark suddenly said , ` My friend , we have now performed half our journey , and it is time that I should tell you something . ' ` What is it ? ' asked the monkey . ` Nothing unpleasant , I hope , for you sound rather grave ? ' ` Oh , no ! Nothing at all .
It is only that shortly before we left I heard XXXXX the sultan of my country is very ill , and that the only thing to cure him is a monkey 's heart . '
By So after during if in on that to with