midnight
In the morning the King came clean to breakfast , but the Lad was as black as he had been . Tuesday passed as Monday had passed ; now William took the bellows , marveling at his youthful master 's deftness , and now the Lad blew , groaning at his pupil 's clumsiness . By nightfall , however , he had achieved a shoe faintly recognizable as such . For a second time the King washed himself and slept again in the little trim chamber , but the Lad in the morning resembled midnight . In this way the week went by , the King 's heart beating a little faster each morning as Saturday approached , and he wondered by what ruse he could explain his absence without creating suspicion or breaking his pledge . On Saturday morning the Lad said to the King : `` This is a half-day . You must make your shoe this morning or not at all .