Many were the quarrels which the old rat and his wife had upon the subject , and sometimes they bore on their faces certain marks which looked as if they had not kept to words only . ` Reach up to the stars is MY motto , ' cried the lady one day , when she was in a greater passion than usual . ` My daughter 's beauty places her higher than anything upon earth , ' she cried ; ` and I am certainly not going to accept a son-in-law who is beneath her . ' ` Better offer her in marriage to the sun , ' answered her husband impatiently . ` As far as I know there is nothing greater than he . ' ` Well , I WAS thinking of it , ' replied the wife , ` and as you are of the same mind , we will pay him a visit to-morrow . ' So the next morning , the two rats , having spent hours in making themselves smart , set out to see the sun , leading their daughter between them . The journey took some time , but at length they came to the golden palace where the sun lived . ` Noble king , ' began the mother , ` behold our daughter ! She is so beautiful that she is above everything in the whole world . Naturally , we wish for a son-in-law who , on his side , is greater than all . Therefore we have come to you . ' ' I feel very much flattered , ' replied the sun , who was so busy that he had not the least wish to marry anybody . ` You do me great honour by your proposal . Only , in one point you are mistaken , and it would be wrong of me to take advantage of your ignorance . There is something greater than I am , and that is the cloud . Look ! ' And as he spoke a cloud spread itself over the sun 's face , blotting out his rays . ` Oh , well , we will speak to the cloud , ' said the mother . And turning to the cloud she repeated her proposal .
` Indeed I am unworthy XXXXX anything so charming , ' answered the cloud ; ` but you make a mistake again in what you say .
as at between by for in of that to upon