four in
the afternoon
Would Aladdin 's order for a palace , complete , be carried out ? Would that ambitious Celestial marry the Princess of his choice ? Johnnie could scarcely wait to know . Following a course that he had found good these several years past , he wound the alarm clock a few times and set it to ring sharp at four in the afternoon -- which would give him more than a full hour in which to wash Grandpa , make the beds and sweep before Big Tom 's return . This done , he opened the book on the table , dug a hand into his tousled mop , and began to read -- to read as he might have drunk if thirst were torturing him , and a cool , deep cup were at his lips . For the book was to him really a draught which quenched a longing akin to thirst ; it was a potion that gave him new life . As the story of stories unfolded itself , step by step , the ragged street urchin whose father had been a poor tailor , attained to great heights -- to wealth and success and power .